In the Senate of the United States,
June 15, 1998.
Resolved, That the resolution from the House of Rep-
resentatives (H. Con. Res. 284) entitled ‘‘Concurrent resolu-
tion revising the congressional budget for the United States
Government for fiscal year 1998, establishing the congres-
sional budget for the United States Government for fiscal
year 1999, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for
fiscal years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.’’, do pass with the
following
AMENDMENT:
Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert:
SECTION 1. CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET
FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999.
(a) DECLARATION.—Congress determines and declares
that this resolution is the concurrent resolution on the budg-
et for fiscal year 1999 including the appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 as re-
quired by section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 and revising the budgetary levels for fiscal year 1998
HCON 284 EAS
set forth in the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal
year 1998 as authorized by section 304 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
this concurrent resolution is as follows:
Sec. 1. Concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 1999.
TITLE I—LEVELS AND AMOUNTS
Sec. 101. Recommended levels and amounts.
Sec. 102. Social Security.
Sec. 103. Major functional categories.
TITLE II—BUDGETARY RESTRAINTS AND RULEMAKING
Sec. 201. Tax cut reserve fund.
Sec. 202. Tobacco reserve fund.
Sec. 203. Separate environmental allocation.
Sec. 204. Dedication of offsets to transportation.
Sec. 205. Adjustments for line item veto litigation.
Sec. 206. Extension of Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund.
Sec. 207. Exercise of rulemaking powers.
TITLE III—SENSE OF CONGRESS AND THE SENATE
Sec. 301. Sense of the Senate regarding passage of the Senate Finance Commit-
tee’s IRS restructuring bill.
Sec. 302. Sense of Congress regarding the sunset of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986.
Sec. 303. Sense of Congress on the tax treatment of home mortgage interest and
charitable giving.
Sec. 304. Sense of the Senate on preservation of Social Security for the future.
Sec. 305. Sense of the Senate on annual statement of accrued liability of Social
Security and Medicare.
Sec. 306. Sense of the Senate on full funding for IDEA.
Sec. 307. Sense of the Senate on Social Security.
Sec. 308. Sense of the Senate on School-to-Work programs.
Sec. 309. Sense of the Senate regarding taxpayer rights.
Sec. 310. Sense of the Senate on National Guard funding.
Sec. 311. Sense of the Senate on Medicare payment.
Sec. 312. Sense of the Senate on long-term care.
Sec. 313. Sense of the Senate on climate change research and other funding.
Sec. 314. Sense of the Senate on increased funding for the Child Care and Devel-
opment Block Grant.
Sec. 315. Sense of the Senate on the formula change for Federal Family Edu-
cation Loan.
Sec. 316. Sense of the Senate regarding the deductibility of health insurance pre-
miums of the self-employed.
Sec. 317. Sense of the Senate on objection to Kyoto Protocol implementation prior
to Senate ratification.
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Sec. 318. Sense of the Senate on price increase on tobacco products of $1.50 per
pack.
Sec. 319. Findings; sense of Congress.
Sec. 320. Sense of the Senate concerning immunity.
Sec. 321. Sense of Senate regarding agricultural trade programs.
Sec. 322. Sense of the Senate supporting long-term entitlement reforms.
Sec. 323. Sense of Congress regarding freedom of health care choice for Medicare
seniors.
Sec. 324. Sense of the Senate regarding repair and construction needs of Indian
schools.
Sec. 325. Sense of the Senate on Social Security personal retirement accounts and
the budget surplus.
Sec. 326. Sense of the Senate regarding the elimination of the marriage penalty.
Sec. 327. Findings and sense of Ccongress regarding affordable, high-quality
health care for seniors.
Sec. 328. Sense of Congress regarding permanent extension of income averaging
for farmers.
Sec. 329. Sense of the Senate to maintain full funding for the Section 202 Elderly
Housing program.
Sec. 330. Sense of the Senate regarding outlay estimates of the Department of De-
fense budget.
Sec. 331. Sense of the Senate regarding outlay estimates for the budgets of Fed-
eral agencies other than the Department of Defense.
Sec. 332. Sense of the Senate regarding an evaluation of the outcome of welfare
reform.
Sec. 333. Sense of the Senate regarding the establishment of a national back-
ground check system for long-term care workers.
Sec. 334. Sense of the Senate on expanding Medicare benefits.
Sec. 335. Sense of the Senate on battlefield preservation.
Sec. 336. A resolution regarding the Senate’s support for Federal, State and local
law enforcement.
Sec. 337. Sense of the Senate on analysis of civilian science and technology pro-
grams in the Federal budget.
Sec. 338. Sense of the Senate on civilian science and technology programs in the
Federal budget.
Sec. 339. Sense of the Senate on long-term budgeting and repayment of the public
debt.
Sec. 340. Sense of the Senate regarding President’s budget.
Sec. 341. Sense of the Senate regarding the value of the Social Security system
for future retirees.
Sec. 342. Sense of the Senate on the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Sec. 343. Sense of the Senate on education goals.
Sec. 344. Findings and sense of the Senate.
Sec. 345. Sense of the Senate on INS circuit riders in the former Soviet Union.
Sec. 346. Sense of the Senate regarding funding for the airport improvement pro-
gram.
Sec. 347. Sense of the Senate that the One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Ses-
sion should reauthorize funds for the farmland protection pro-
gram.
Sec. 348. Sense of the Senate on health care quality.
Sec. 349. Sense of the Senate regarding wasteful spending in Defense Department
acquisition practices.
Sec. 350. Sense of the Senate regarding the United States response to the chang-
ing nature of terrorism.
HCON 284 EAS
Sec. 351. Sense of the Senate on economic growth, Social Security, and Govern-
ment efficiency.
Sec. 352. Sense of the Senate regarding a supermajority requirement for raising
taxes.
Sec. 353. Sense of the Senate on health care quality.
Sec. 354. Sense of the Senate on the use of budget surplus for tax relief or debt
reduction.
Sec. 355. Use of budget surplus to reform Social Security.
Sec. 356. Sense of the Senate on Colombian drug war helicopters.
Sec. 357. Sense of the Senate on funding for medical care for veterans.
Sec. 358. Sense of the Senate on objection to the use of the sale of public lands
to fund certain programs.
Sec. 359. Sense of the Senate regarding a multinational alliance against drug
trafficking.
Sec. 360. Sense of the Senate regarding legislation that increases complexity of
tax returns.
Sec. 361. General prohibition on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Sec. 362. Sense of the Senate regarding Amtrak funding.
Sec. 363. Sense of the Senate regarding market access program.
Sec. 364. Sense of the Senate regarding the National Institutes of Health.
Sec. 365. Sense of the Senate regarding display of Ten Commandments.
TITLE I—LEVELS AND AMOUNTS
SEC. 101. RECOMMENDED LEVELS AND AMOUNTS.
The following budgetary levels are appropriate for the
fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
(1) FEDERAL REVENUES.—For purposes of the en-
forcement of this resolution—
(A) The recommended levels of Federal revenues
are as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $1,262,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $1,300,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $1,325,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $1,369,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002: $1,431,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $1,486,900,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) The amounts by which the aggregate levels of
Federal revenues should be changed are as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $0.
Fiscal year 1999: $0.
Fiscal year 2000: $0.
Fiscal year 2001: $0.
Fiscal year 2002: $0.
Fiscal year 2003: $0.
(C) The amounts for Federal Insurance Con-
tributions Act revenues for hospital insurance within
the recommended levels of Federal revenues are as fol-
lows:
Fiscal year 1998: $117,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $123,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $129,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $135,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002: $141,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $148,100,000,000.
(2) NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY.—For purposes of the
enforcement of this resolution, the appropriate levels of total
new budget authority are as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $1,374,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $1,425,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $1,471,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $1,513,200,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2002: $1,547,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $1,615,800,000,000.
(3) BUDGET OUTLAYS.—For purposes of the enforce-
ment of this resolution, the appropriate levels of total budget
outlays are as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $1,358,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $1,408,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $1,450,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $1,490,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002: $1,507,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $1,579,200,000,000.
(4) DEFICITS.—For purposes of the enforcement of this
resolution, the amounts of the deficits are as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: ¥$95,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: ¥$108,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: ¥$124,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: ¥$120,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002: ¥$75,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: ¥$92,300,000,000.
(5) PUBLIC DEBT.—The appropriate levels of the pub-
lic debt are as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $5,482,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $5,668,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $5,868,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $6,064,400,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2002: $6,220,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $6,392,700,000,000.
SEC. 102. SOCIAL SECURITY.
(a) SOCIAL SECURITY REVENUES.—For purposes of
Senate enforcement under sections 302, 602, and 311 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the amounts of revenues
of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust
Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund are
as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $417,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $438,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $457,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $477,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002: $497,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $520,700,000,000.
(b) SOCIAL SECURITY OUTLAYS.—For purposes of
Senate enforcement under sections 302, 602, and 311 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the amounts of outlays
of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust
Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund are
as follows:
Fiscal year 1998: $313,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999: $212,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000: $331,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001: $344,100,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2002: $355,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003: $369,400,000,000.
SEC. 103. MAJOR FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES.
Congress determines and declares that the appropriate
levels of new budget authority, budget outlays, new direct
loan obligations, and new primary loan guarantee commit-
ments for fiscal years 1998 through 2003 for each major
functional category are:
(1) National Defense (050):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$267,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $268,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$270,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $265,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$274,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $268,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$280,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $269,700,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$288,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $272,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$296,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $279,800,000,000.
(2) International Affairs (150):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $15,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $14,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $14,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $15,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $15,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
HCON 284 EAS
(A) New budget authority, $15,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,400,000,000.
(3) General Science, Space, and Technology (250):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $18,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $17,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $18,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $17,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $17,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $17,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $17,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $17,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $17,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $17,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $17,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $17,000,000,000.
(4) Energy (270):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $1,000,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $0.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$400,000,000.
(5) Natural Resources and Environment (300):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $24,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $23,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $23,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $23,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $23,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $23,500,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $23,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $23,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $22,900,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $23,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $22,900,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $22,900,000,000.
(6) Agriculture (350):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $11,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $10,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $12,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $10,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $11,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $9,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $10,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $8,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $10,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $8,500,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $10,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $8,800,000,000.
(7) Commerce and Housing Credit (370):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $7,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $4,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $3,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $15,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $10,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $15,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $11,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $15,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $11,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $14,900,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $11,700,000,000.
(8) Transportation (400):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $46,000,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, $42,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $51,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $42,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $51,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $44,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $52,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $45,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $51,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $45,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $52,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $46,900,000,000.
(9) Community and Regional Development (450):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $8,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $11,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $8,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $10,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $7,900,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, $9,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $7,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $8,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $7,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $8,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $7,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $8,100,000,000.
(10) Education, Training, Employment, and Social
Services (500):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $61,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $56,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $63,050,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $61,006,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $63,350,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $62,740,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $64,550,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $63,849,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
HCON 284 EAS
(A) New budget authority, $64,950,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $63,750,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $68,450,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $67,150,000,000.
(11) Health (550):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$136,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $132,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$145,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $143,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$152,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $151,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$161,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $160,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$170,100,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, $169,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$181,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $181,100,000,000.
(12) Medicare (570):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$199,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $199,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$210,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $210,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$221,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $221,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$239,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $242,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$251,200,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, $248,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$273,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $273,600,000,000.
(13) Income Security (600):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$229,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $234,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$243,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $248,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$257,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $259,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$268,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $266,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$279,200,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, $274,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$289,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $282,400,000,000.
(14) Social Security (650):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $12,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $12,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $12,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $12,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $13,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $13,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $12,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $12,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $14,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $15,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $15,300,000,000.
(15) Veterans Benefits and Services (700):
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $42,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $42,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $42,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $43,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $43,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $44,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $44,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $45,200,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $46,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $46,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $48,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $48,600,000,000.
(16) Administration of Justice (750):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $25,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $22,500,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $25,800,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $24,600,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $24,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $24,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $24,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $24,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $24,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $24,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $25,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $24,200,000,000.
(17) General Government (800):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, $14,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $14,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, $14,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $13,400,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) New budget authority, $13,900,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $13,800,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) New budget authority, $13,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $13,800,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) New budget authority, $13,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $13,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $13,500,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $13,500,000,000.
(18) Net Interest (900):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$291,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $291,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$300,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $300,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$301,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $301,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$302,100,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $302,100,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
HCON 284 EAS
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$302,600,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $302,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
$304,900,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $304,900,000,000.
(19) Allowances (920):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) New budget authority, ¥$0.
(B) Outlays, ¥$0.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) New budget authority, ¥$300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$1,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$1,200,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$4,600,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$2,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$3,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$3,800,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, ¥$7,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$5,400,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$5,000,000,000.
(20) Undistributed Offsetting Receipts (950):
Fiscal year 1998:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$36,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$36,700,000,000.
Fiscal year 1999:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$36,300,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$36,300,000,000.
Fiscal year 2000:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$36,000,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$36,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2001:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$37,900,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$37,900,000,000.
Fiscal year 2002:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$45,000,000,000.
HCON 284 EAS
(B) Outlays, ¥$45,000,000,000.
Fiscal year 2003:
(A) 
New 
budget 
authority,
¥$35,700,000,000.
(B) Outlays, ¥$35,700,000,000.
TITLE II—BUDGETARY
RESTRAINTS AND RULEMAKING
SEC. 201. TAX CUT RESERVE FUND.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In the Senate, revenue and spend-
ing aggregates may only be reduced and allocations may
be reduced only for legislation that reduces revenues by pro-
viding family tax relief (including relief from the ‘‘mar-
riage penalty’’ and support for child care expenses incurred
by all parents), and incentives to stimulate savings, invest-
ment, job creation, and economic growth (including commu-
nity renewal initiatives) if such legislation will not increase
the deficit or reduce the surplus for—
(1) fiscal year 1999;
(2) the period of fiscal years 1999–2003; or
(3) the period of fiscal years 2004–2008.
(b) REVISED ALLOCATIONS.—Upon the consideration
of legislation pursuant to subsection (a), the Chairman of
the Committee on the Budget of the Senate may file with
the Senate appropriately revised allocations under section
302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and revised
HCON 284 EAS
aggregates to carry out this section. These revised alloca-
tions and aggregates shall be considered for the purposes
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as allocations and
aggregates contained in this resolution.
SEC. 202. TOBACCO RESERVE FUND.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In the Senate, revenue aggregates
may be increased for legislation which reserves the Federal
share of receipts from tobacco legislation only for the Medi-
care Hospital Insurance Trust Fund.
(b) REVISED AGGREGATES.—Upon the consideration
of legislation pursuant to subsection (a), the Chairman of
the Committee on the Budget of the Senate may file in-
creased aggregates to carry out this section. These aggre-
gates shall be considered for the purposes of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974 as the aggregates contained in
this resolution.
(c) APPLICATION OF SECTION 202 OF H. CON. RES.
67.—For the purposes of enforcement of section 202 of H.
Con. Res. 67 (104th Congress) with respect to this resolu-
tion, the increase in receipts resulting from tobacco legisla-
tion shall not be taken into account.
SEC. 203. SEPARATE ENVIRONMENTAL ALLOCATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In the Senate, revenue and spend-
ing aggregates may be increased and allocations may be
increased only for legislation that reauthorizes and reforms
HCON 284 EAS
the Superfund program to facilitate the cleanup of hazard-
ous waste sites if such legislation will not increase the defi-
cit or reduce the surplus for—
(1) fiscal year 1999;
(2) the period of fiscal years 1999–2003; or
(3) the period of fiscal years 2004–2008.
(b) REVISED AGGREGATES.—In the Senate, after the
Committee on Environment and Public Works reports a bill
(or after the submission of a conference report thereon) to
reform the Superfund program to facilitate the cleanup of
hazardous waste sites that does not exceed—
(1) $200,000,000 in budget authority and out-
lays for fiscal year 1999; and
(2) $1,000,000,000 in budget authority and out-
lays for the period of fiscal years 1999 through 2003;
the chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate
may increase the appropriate aggregates and the appro-
priate allocations of budget authority in this resolution by
the amounts provided in that bill for that purpose and the
outlays flowing in all years from such budget authority.
These revised allocations and aggregates shall be considered
for the purposes of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
as the allocations and aggregates contained in this resolu-
tion.
HCON 284 EAS
SEC. 204. DEDICATION OF OFFSETS TO TRANSPORTATION.
(a) SPENDING RESERVE.—In accordance with section
312(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and for the
purposes of title III of that Act, the Chairman of the Com-
mittee on the Budget may reserve the estimated reductions
in new budget authority and outlays resulting from changes
in legislation affecting the programs specified in subsection
(b), if contained in the Department of Transportation and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, for the purpose of off-
setting—
(1) 
additional 
outlays 
not 
to 
exceed
$1,300,000,000 
in 
fiscal 
year 
1999 
and
$18,500,000,000 for fiscal years 1999 through 2003
for discretionary highway programs as called for in
the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
of 1998; and
(2) additional budget authority not to exceed
$1,000,000,000 
in 
fiscal 
year 
1999 
and
$5,000,000,000 for fiscal years 1999 through 2003 for
discretionary transit programs as called for in the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of
1998.
(b) OFFSETS.—The following reductions in mandatory
spending are reserved in function 920, Allowances, for pur-
poses of subsection (a):
HCON 284 EAS
(1) For reductions in programs in function 350,
Agriculture: For fiscal year 1999, $107,000,000 in
budget authority and $107,000,000 in outlays; For
fiscal years 1999–2003, $603,000,000 in budget au-
thority and $598,000,000 in outlays.
(2) For reductions in programs in function 370,
Commerce and Housing Credit: For fiscal year 1999,
$242,000,000 in budget authority and $242,000,000
in 
outlays; 
For 
fiscal 
years 
1999–2003,
$1,195,000,000 
in 
budget 
authority 
and
$1,195,000,000 in outlays.
(3) For reductions in programs in function 500,
Education, Training, Employment, and Social Serv-
ices: For fiscal year 1999, $471,000,000 in budget au-
thority and $424,000,000 in outlays; For fiscal years
1999–2003, $3,182,000,000 in budget authority and
$3,079,000,000 in outlays.
(4) For reductions in programs in function 550,
Health: For fiscal year 1999, $250,000,000 in budget
authority and $250,000,000 in outlays; For fiscal
years 1999–2003, $1,900,000,000 in budget authority
and $1,900,000,000 in outlays.
(5) For reductions in programs in function 600,
Income Security: For fiscal year 1999, $260,000,000
in budget authority and $260,000,000 in outlays; For
HCON 284 EAS
fiscal years 1999–2003, $1,700,000,000 in budget au-
thority and $1,700,000,000 in outlays.
(6) For reductions in programs in function 700,
Veterans Benefits and Services: For fiscal year 1999,
$500,000,000 in budget authority and $500,000,000
in 
outlays; 
For 
fiscal 
years 
1999–2003,
$10,500,000,000 
in 
budget 
authority 
and
$10,500,000,000 in outlays.
(c) SENSE OF THE SENATE ON VA COMPENSATION AND
POST-SERVICE SMOKING-RELATED ILLNESSES.—
(1) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(A) the President has twice included in his
budgets a prohibition on the entitlement expan-
sion that the Department of Veterans Affairs (re-
ferred to as the ‘‘VA’’) is proposing to allow post-
service smoking-related illness to be eligible for
VA compensation;
(B) Congress has never acted on this entitle-
ment expansion;
(C) the Congressional Budget Office and the
Office of Management and Budget have con-
cluded that this change in VA policy would re-
sult in at least $10,000,000,000 over 5 years and
$45,000,000,000 over 10 years in additional
mandatory costs to the VA;
HCON 284 EAS
(D) these increased number of claims and
the resulting costs may present undue delay and
hardship on veterans seeking claim review;
(E) the entitlement expansion apparently
runs counter to all existing VA policy, including
a statement by former Secretary Brown that ‘‘It
is inappropriate to compensate for death or dis-
ability resulting from veterans’ personal choice
to engage in conduct damaging to their health.’’;
and
(F) Secretary Brown’s comment was re-
cently reaffirmend by Acting Secretary of Veter-
ans Affairs Togo West, who stated ‘‘It has been
the position of the Department and of my prede-
cessor that the decision to use tobacco by service
members is a personal decision and is not a re-
quirement for military service. And that there-
fore to compensate veterans for diseases whose
sole connection to service is a veteran’s own to-
bacco use should not rest with the Government.’’.
(2) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of
the Senate that the function totals and assumptions
underlying this resolution assume the following:
HCON 284 EAS
(A) The support of the President’s proposal
to not allow post-service smoking related illnesses
to be eligible for VA.
(B) The study and report required by sub-
paragraph (C) will be completed.
(C) The Secretary of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, the Office of Management and
Budget, and the General Accounting Office are
jointly required to—
(i) jointly study (referred to in this
section as the ‘‘study’’) the VA General
Counsel’s determination and the resulting
actions to change the compensation rules to
include disability and death benefits for
conditions related to the use of tobacco
products during service; and
(ii) deliver an opinion as to whether
illnesses resulting from post-service smoking
should be considered as a compensable dis-
ability.
(D) The study should include—
(i) the estimated numbers of those fil-
ing such claims, the cost resulting from such
benefits, the time necessary to review such
claims, and how such a number of claims
HCON 284 EAS
will affect the VA’s ability to review its cur-
rent claim load;
(ii) an examination of how the pro-
posed change corresponds to prior VA policy
relating to post-service actions taken by an
individual; and
(iii) what Federal benefits, both VA
and non-VA, former service members having
smoking-related illnesses are eligible to re-
ceive.
(E) The study shall be completed no later
than July 1, 1999.
(F) The Department of Veterans Affairs and
the Office of Management and Budget shall re-
port their finding to the Majority and Minority
Leaders of the Senate and the chairmen and
ranking minority members of the Senate Budget
and Veterans’ Affairs Committees.
SEC. 205. ADJUSTMENTS FOR LINE ITEM VETO LITIGATION.
If the Supreme Court rules that the Line Item Veto
Act is unconstitutional, the Chairman of the Committee on
the Budget may make appropriate adjustments to the allo-
cations and aggregates in this resolution to reflect the effects
of the President’s cancellations becoming null and void.
HCON 284 EAS
SEC. 206. EXTENSION OF VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION
TRUST FUND.
(a) DISCRETIONARY LIMITS.—In the Senate, in this
section and for the purposes of allocations made for the dis-
cretionary category pursuant to section 302(a) of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974, the term ‘‘discretionary
spending limit’’ means—
(1) with respect to fiscal year 1999—
(A) 
for 
the 
defense 
category:
$271,570,000,000 in new budget authority and
$266,635,000,000 in outlays;
(B) 
for 
the 
nondefense 
category:
$255,450,000,000 in new budget authority and
$289,547,000,000 in outlays; and
(C) for the violent crime reduction category:
$5,800,000,000 in new budget authority and
$4,953,000,000 in outlays;
(2) with respect to fiscal year 2000—
(A) 
for 
the 
discretionary 
category:
$532,693,000,000 in new budget authority and
$558,711,000,000 in outlays; and
(B) for the violent crime reduction category:
$4,500,000,000 in new budget authority and
$5,554,000,000 in outlays;
(3) with respect to fiscal year 2001—
HCON 284 EAS
(A) 
for 
the 
discretionary 
category:
$537,632,000,000 in new budget authority and
$558,415,000,000 in outlays; and
(B) for the violent crime reduction category:
$4,400,000,000 in new budget authority and
$5,981,000,000 in outlays; and
(4) with respect to fiscal year 2002—
(A) 
for 
the 
discretionary 
category:
$546,574,000,000 in new budget authority and
$556,269,000,000 in outlays; and
(B) for the violent crime reduction category:
$4,500,000,000 in new budget authority and
$4,530,000,000 in outlays;
as adjusted in strict conformance with subsection (b) of sec-
tion 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 and section 314 of the Congressional
Budget Act.
(b) POINT OF ORDER IN THE SENATE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), it shall not be in order in the Senate to
consider—
(A) a revision of this resolution or any con-
current resolution on the budget for fiscal years
1999, 2000, 2001, or 2002 (or amendment, mo-
tion, or conference report on such a resolution)
HCON 284 EAS
that provides discretionary spending in excess of
the discretionary spending limit or limits for
such fiscal year; or
(B) any bill or resolution (or amendment,
motion, or conference report on such bill or reso-
lution) for fiscal year 1999, 2000, 2001, or 2002
that would cause any of the limits in this section
(or suballocations of the discretionary limits
made pursuant to section 302(b) of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974) to be exceeded.
(2) EXCEPTION.—This section shall not apply if
a declaration of war by the Congress is in effect or
if a joint resolution pursuant to section 258 of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act
of 1985 has been enacted.
(c) WAIVER.—This section may be waived or sus-
pended in the Senate only by the affirmative vote of three-
fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn.
(d) APPEALS.—Appeals in the Senate from the deci-
sions of the Chair relating to any provision of this section
shall be limited to 1 hour, to be equally divided between,
and controlled by, the appellant and the manager of the
concurrent resolution, bill, or joint resolution, as the case
may be. An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members
of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required in
HCON 284 EAS
the Senate to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair
on a point of order raised under this section.
(e) DETERMINATION OF BUDGET LEVELS.—For pur-
poses of this section, the levels of new budget authority, out-
lays, new entitlement authority, revenues, and deficits for
a fiscal year shall be determined on the basis of estimates
made by the Committee on the Budget of the Senate.
SEC. 207. EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWERS.
Congress adopts the provisions of this title—
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the
Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively,
and as such they shall be considered as part of the
rules of each House, or of that House to which they
specifically apply, and such rules shall supersede
other rules only to the extent that they are inconsist-
ent therewith; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional
right of either House to change those rules (so far as
they relate to that House) at any time, in the same
manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any
other rule of that House.
HCON 284 EAS
TITLE III—SENSE OF CONGRESS
AND THE SENATE
SEC. 301. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING PASSAGE OF
THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE’S IRS RE-
STRUCTURING BILL.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) the House of Representatives passed H.R.
2676 on November 5, 1997;
(2) the Finance Committee of the Senate has held
several days of hearings this year on Internal Reve-
nue Service restructuring proposals;
(3) the hearings demonstrated many areas in
which the House-passed bill could be improved;
(4) on March 31, 1998, the Senate Finance Com-
mittee voted 20–0 to report an Internal Revenue
Service restructuring package that contains more
oversight over the Internal Revenue Service, more ac-
countability for employees, and a new arsenal of tax-
payer protections; and
(5) the Senate Finance package includes the fol-
lowing items which were not included in the House
bill—
(A) removal of the statutory impediments to
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue’s efforts to
HCON 284 EAS
reorganize the agency to create a more stream-
lined, taxpayer-friendly organization,
(B) the providing of real oversight authority
for the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board
to help prevent taxpayer abuse,
(C) the creation of a new Treasury Inspec-
tor General for Tax Administration to ensure
independence and accountability,
(D) real, meaningful relief for innocent
spouses,
(E) provisions which abate penalties and
interest after 1 year so that the Internal Revenue
Service does not profit from its own delay,
(F) provisions which ensure due process of
law to taxpayers by granting them a right to a
hearing before the Internal Revenue Service can
pursue a lien, levy, or seizure,
(G) provisions which forbid the Internal
Revenue Service from coercing taxpayers to ex-
tend the 10-year statute of limitations for collec-
tion,
(H) provisions which require the Internal
Revenue Service to terminate employees who
abuse taxpayers or other Internal Revenue Serv-
ice employees,
HCON 284 EAS
(I) provisions which make the Taxpayer
Advocate more independent, and
(J) provisions enabling the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue to manage employees more ef-
fectively.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
in this budget resolution assume that the Senate shall, as
expeditiously as possible, consider and pass an Internal
Revenue Service restructuring bill which provides the most
taxpayer protections, the greatest degree of Internal Reve-
nue Service employee accountability, and enhanced over-
sight.
SEC. 302. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE SUNSET
OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that a simple and fair
Federal tax system is one that—
(1) applies a low tax rate, through easily under-
stood laws, to all Americans;
(2) provides tax relief for working Americans;
(3) protects the rights of taxpayers and reduces
tax collection abuses;
(4) eliminates the bias against savings and in-
vestment;
(5) promotes economic growth and job creation;
HCON 284 EAS
(6) does not penalize marriage or families; and
(7) provides for a taxpayer-friendly collections
process to replace the Internal Revenue Service.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that the provisions of this resolution assume that all taxes
imposed under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall sun-
set for any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2001
(or in the case of any tax not imposed on the basis of a
taxable year, on any taxable event or for any period after
December 31, 2001) and that a new Federal tax system will
be enacted that is both simple and fair as described in sub-
section (a) and that provides only those resources for the
Federal Government that are needed to meet its responsibil-
ities to the American people.
SEC. 303. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE TAX TREATMENT OF
HOME MORTGAGE INTEREST AND CHARI-
TABLE GIVING.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) current Federal income tax laws embrace a
number of fundamental tax policies including long-
standing encouragement for home ownership and
charitable giving, expanded health and retirement
benefits;
(2) the mortgage interest deduction is among the
most important incentives in the income tax code and
HCON 284 EAS
promotes the American Dream of home ownership—
the single largest investment for most families, and
preserving it is critical for the more than 20,000,000
families claiming it now and for millions more in the
future;
(3) favorable tax treatment to encourage gifts to
charities is a longstanding principle that helps char-
ities raise funds needed to provide services to poor
families and others when government is simply un-
able or unwilling to do so, and maintaining this tax
incentive will help charities raise money to meet the
challenges of their charitable missions in the decades
ahead;
(4) legislation has been proposed to repeal the
entire income tax code at the end of the year 2001
without providing a specific replacement; and
(5) sunsetting the entire income tax code without
describing a replacement threatens our Nation’s fu-
ture economic growth and unwisely eliminates exist-
ing tax incentives that are crucial for taxpayers who
are often making the most important financial deci-
sions of their lives.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that the levels in this resolution assume that Congress sup-
ports the continued tax deductibility of home mortgage in-
HCON 284 EAS
terest and charitable contributions and that a sunset of the
tax code that does not provide a replacement tax system
that preserves this deductibility could damage the American
dream of home ownership and could threaten the viability
of nonprofit institutions.
SEC. 304. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON PRESERVATION OF SO-
CIAL SECURITY FOR THE FUTURE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) Social Security is one of the Nation’s most
important income security programs;
(2) the preservation of Social Security both for
those now retired and for future generations of work-
ing Americans is a vital national priority;
(3) the Trustees of the Federal Old Age and Sur-
vivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust
Funds have reported to Congress that—
(A) the retirement of the baby boom genera-
tion will cause Social Security expenditures to
accelerate rapidly beginning around 2010;
(B) Social Security expenditures will exceed
Social Security revenues after 2012 and the trust
funds will be depleted of reserves in 2029; and
(C) after 2029, tax revenues will be suffi-
cient to cover only three-fourths of the benefits
promised under current law, and, by the end of
HCON 284 EAS
the 75 year projection period, the annual deficit
in the trust funds will reach 2.1 percent of the
GDP;
(4) Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal
Reserve Board, has testified before Congress that So-
cial Security’s unfunded liability stands at around
$3,000,000,000,000 and advised Congress to move ex-
peditiously to reform the program so that current
workers will have sufficient time to adjust to any
changes in the program;
(5) the $124,000,000,000 in new domestic spend-
ing programs in the President’s budget undermines
Social Security by diverting resources from budget
surpluses to a bigger government and more spending;
and
(6) the Medicare Hospital Insurance program is
projected to become insolvent in 2010 and a study by
the National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University estimated that 14 per-
cent of Medicare spending in 1995 was for tobacco-
related illnesses.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the provisions of this resolution assume that—
(1) Congress should use unified budget surpluses
to reform Social Security for future generations; and
HCON 284 EAS
(2) Congress should reserve the Federal proceeds
from any tobacco settlement for saving Medicare until
legislation is enacted to make Medicare actuarially
sound.
SEC. 305. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ANNUAL STATEMENT
OF ACCRUED LIABILITY OF SOCIAL SECURITY
AND MEDICARE.
It is the sense of the Senate that the provisions of this
resolution assume that—
(1) the concurrent resolution on the budget
should include a statement of the current accrued li-
ability of the Federal Government for future pay-
ments under the Social Security and Medicare pro-
grams; and
(2) the President’s budget should include for fis-
cal years beginning with 1999 a statement of the cur-
rent accrued liability of the Federal Government for
future payments under the Social Security and Medi-
care programs.
SEC. 306. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON FULL FUNDING FOR
IDEA.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budgetary levels
in this resolution assume that part B of the Individuals
with Disabilities Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.) should be fully
HCON 284 EAS
funded at the originally promised level before any funds are
appropriated for new education programs.
SEC. 307. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) the Social Security program, created in 1935
to provide old-age survivors, and disability insurance
benefits, has been one of the most successful govern-
ment programs ever;
(2) in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1990, Congress created section 13301 of the Congres-
sional Budget Act, which removed Social Security
spending and revenues from all Federal budget cal-
culations;
(3) under current budget law, the Federal budget
is still in deficit; and
(4) in his State of the Union message on Janu-
ary 27, 1998, President Clinton called on Congress to
‘‘save Social Security first’’ and to ‘‘reserve one hun-
dred percent of the surplus, that is any penny of the
surplus, until we have taken all the necessary meas-
ures to strengthen the Social Security system for the
twenty-first century’’.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
included in this resolution assume—
HCON 284 EAS
(1) Congress and the President should continue
to rid our country of debt and work to balance the
budget without counting Social Security trust fund
surpluses; and
(2) Congress and the President should work in a
bipartisan way on specific legislation to reform the
Social Security system, to ensure that it is finan-
cially sound over the long term and will be available
for all future generations.
SEC. 308. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON SCHOOL-TO-WORK
PROGRAMS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budget totals and
levels in this resolution assume the President’s policy with
respect to the School-to-Work program under the Education
Reform Account and any such savings as a result should
be applied to local initiatives focusing on early childhood
development.
SEC. 309. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING TAXPAYER
RIGHTS.
It is the sense of the Senate that of revenues designated
under section 201 for tax relief, a portion be set aside for—
(1) improvement of taxpayer rights, including
protections for taxpayers in cases involving seizure of
property by the Internal Revenue Service; and
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(2) reform of the penalty rules under the Inter-
nal Revenue Code of 1986.
SEC. 310. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON NATIONAL GUARD
FUNDING.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
(1) The Army National Guard represents 34 per-
cent of total Army forces, including 55 percent of
combat divisions and brigades, 46 percent of combat
support, and 25 percent of combat service support.
(2) The Army National Guard receives just 9.5
percent of Army funds.
(3) A recent military study estimates the average
cost to train and equip an active duty soldier is
$73,000 per year, while the average cost to train and
equip a National Guard soldier is just $17,000 per
year.
(4) The Constitution of the United States pro-
vides for a specific role for the National Guard in our
national defense.
(5) The National Guard will play an increasing
role in a variety of ongoing worldwide operations by
relieving active units and reducing the operational
and personnel burdens of the Army’s frequent and
lengthy deployments.
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(6) The home land defense is a mission of grow-
ing importance for our military forces and the Na-
tional Guard forces will play an increasingly key role
in that mission.
(7) Congress created the National Defense Panel
to recommend ways in which to transform United
States defense and national security policy for the
21st century and it reached the following rec-
ommendations:
(A) Some portion of the Army National
Guard’s divisional combat units (including com-
bat support) should become part of active divi-
sions and brigades.
(B) The National Guard’s enhanced bri-
gades should report to an active Army command.
(C) The Guard should develop selected
early-deploying units that would join the active
component.
(D) Some additional reserve or Guard units
may be needed to reduce pressure on the active
Army.
(E) The Guard should assume the entire
U.S. Army South (USARSO) mission, the Army
component of the United States Southern Com-
mand (Southcom) based in Panama.
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(F) The National Guard should continue to
provide general purpose forces to give prompt
military support to civil authorities.
(G) The National Guard should provide
forces organized and equipped for training of
civil agencies and the immediate reinforcement
of first-response efforts in domestic emergencies.
(H) New homeland defense missions develop
(e.g., National Missile Defense and information
warfare), the Guard should be used in lieu of ac-
tive forces wherever possible.
(8) The National Guard estimates it was under-
funded by $743,000,000 in fiscal year 1998 and by
$634,000,000 in fiscal year 1999.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals in the budget resolution as-
sume that the Department of Defense will give the highest
priority to moving toward fully funding the National
Guard.
SEC. 311. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON MEDICARE PAYMENT.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) one of the goals of the Balanced Budget Act
of 1997 was to expand options for Medicare bene-
ficiaries under the new Medicare+Choice program;
and
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(2) the new Medicare payment formula in the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was intended to make
these choices available to all Americans, but because
of the low update and specific budget neutrality pro-
visions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the blend-
ing of rates to create greater equity for rural and
other lower payment areas was not implemented in
1998 or 1999.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals underlying this concurrent res-
olution on the budget assume that funding the blending of
local and national payment rates pursuant to the Balanced
Budget Act of 1997 should be a priority for the Senate Fi-
nance Committee this year within the budget as established
by this Committee.
SEC. 312. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON LONG-TERM CARE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) our Nation is not financially prepared to
meet the long-term care needs of its rapidly aging
population and that long-term care needs threaten the
financial security of American families; and
(2) many people are unaware that most long-
term care costs are not covered by Medicare and that
Medicaid covers long-term care only after the person’s
assets have been exhausted.
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(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that—
(1) this concurrent resolution on the budget as-
sumes that the National Bipartisan Commission on
the Future of Medicare should, as part of its delibera-
tions, describe long-term care needs and make all ap-
propriate recommendations including private sector
options that reflect the need for a continuum of care
that spans from acute to long-term care. This is not
a specific recommendation that any new program be
added to Medicare;
(2) the Federal Government should take all ap-
propriate steps to inform the public about the finan-
cial risks posed by long-term care costs and about the
need for families to plan for their long-term care
needs;
(3) the Federal Government should take all ap-
propriate steps to inform the public that Medicare
does not cover most long-term care costs and that
Medicaid covers long-term care costs only when the
beneficiary has exhausted his or her assets;
(4) the appropriate committees of the Senate, to-
gether with the Department of Health and Human
Services and other appropriate Executive Branch
agencies, should develop specific ideas for encouraging
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Americans to plan for their own long-term care needs;
and
(5) the upcoming National Summit on Retire-
ment Income Savings should ensure that planning for
long-term care is an integral part of any discussion
of retirement security.
SEC. 313. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON CLIMATE CHANGE RE-
SEARCH AND OTHER FUNDING.
It is the sense of the Senate that the assumptions un-
derlying the functional totals in this resolution assume the
following:
(1) To the extent that funding is made available
through grants or other Federal expenditures to re-
duce emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse
gases or to increase sequestration of carbon to offset
such emissions, such funding shall be made available
through competitive, merit-based awards designed to
select cost-effective methods for reducing, sequestering,
or mitigating such emissions. Such awards shall con-
sider all technologies, methods, and research for reduc-
ing, sequestering, or mitigating emissions, including
sustainable agricultural practices and forest manage-
ment and conservation strategies. Funding criteria
shall be comprehensive in scope, not limited to spe-
cific technologies or industries, awarded on a non-
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discriminatory basis, and target cost-effectiveness in
reducing, sequestering, or mitigating carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases through natural resource
management programs or products. In considering
the cost-effectiveness of various reduction, sequestra-
tion, or mitigation technologies, other environmental
benefits should be considered.
(2) To the extent any tax credits or other tax in-
centives are created to stimulate the adoption of tech-
nologies or practices that reduce, sequester, or miti-
gate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases (‘‘emissions tax incentives’’), such emission tax
incentives shall also be available to any person that
employs an alternative technology or practice that re-
duces, sequesters, or mitigates emissions of carbon di-
oxide or other greenhouse gases as effectively as those
technologies or practices for which a tax credit or
other incentive is provided. Only payments for tech-
nologies or in support of practices not legally required
when payment is made shall qualify for tax incen-
tives.
SEC. 314. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON INCREASED FUNDING
FOR THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT
BLOCK GRANT.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
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(1) 54 percent of women in the labor force have
children under 13 and are either single parents or
have husbands who earn less than $30,000 per year;
(2) in 1995, 62 percent of women with children
younger than age 6, and 77 percent of women with
children ages 6–17 were in the labor force, and 59
percent of women with children younger than 3 were
in the labor force;
(3) a 1997 General Accounting Office study
found that the increased work participation require-
ments of the welfare reform law will cause the need
for child care to exceed the known supply;
(4) a 1995 study by the Urban Institute of child
care prices in 6 cities found that the average cost of
care for a 2-year-old in a child care center ranged
from $3,100 to $8,100;
(5) for an entry-level worker, the family’s child
care costs at the average price of care for an infant
in a child care center would be at least 50 percent of
family income in 5 of the 6 cities examined;
(6) 40 percent of children under the age of 5 are
taken care of at home by 1 parent;
(7) a large number of low- and middle-income
families sacrifice a second full-time income so that a
parent may be at home with the child;
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(8) the average income of 2-parent families with
a single income is $20,000 less than the average in-
come of 2-parent families with 2 incomes;
(9) the recent National Institute for Child
Health and Development study found that the greatest
factor in the development of a young child is ‘‘what
is happening at home and in families’’; and
(10) increased tax relief directed at making child
care more affordable, and increased funding for the
Child Care and Development Block Grant, would take
significant steps toward bringing quality child care
within the reach of many parents, and would increase
the options available to parents in deciding how best
to care for their children.
(b) SENSE OF SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate
that the levels in this resolution and legislation enacted pur-
suant to this resolution assume—
(1) that tax relief should be directed at parents
who are struggling to afford quality child care, in-
cluding those who wish to stay at home to care for a
child, and should be included in any tax cut package;
and
(2) doubling funding for the Child Care and De-
velopment Block Grant will significantly increase the
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States’ ability to deliver quality child care to low-in-
come working families.
SEC. 315. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE FORMULA
CHANGE FOR FEDERAL FAMILY EDUCATION
LOAN.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
(1) Postsecondary students receive critical access
to a higher education through student loans made
available by lenders in the Federal Family Education
Loan (FFEL) program.
(2) Guaranteed student loan borrowers currently
pay an interest rate on their FFEL loans equal to the
91-day Treasury bill rate plus 2.5 percent while the
borrower attends school, and the 91-day Treasury bill
rate plus 3.1 percent during repayment. In addition,
the maximum FFEL student loan rate is capped at
8.25 percent.
(3) As a result of the Omnibus Budget Reconcili-
ation Act of 1993, the new formula for FFEL student
loans, effective July 1, 1998, will be equal to the 10-
year Treasury bond rate plus 1 percent. In addition,
the same 8.25 percent rate cap would apply to these
new loans.
(4) Lenders in the FFEL program have alerted
Congress that the scheduled formula change will make
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these loans unprofitable. As a result, lenders may
withdraw from the FFEL program or significantly
reduce their participation in the program after July
1, 1998.
(5) A July 25, 1997 report by the Congressional
Research Service stated that the scheduled formula
change ‘‘can result in a greater likelihood that the
program will become unprofitable at certain points in
the business cycle,’’ and ‘‘the result could be a shut-
down of the guaranteed delivery system.’’.
(6) In a report by the Treasury Department on
February 26, 1998, the Clinton Administration con-
cluded that the new formula will provide a rate of re-
turn on student loans that is below the target rate of
return of for-profit bank lenders in the guaranteed
student loan program. Furthermore, the Administra-
tion concluded that there are inefficiencies associated
with the proposed formula, and joint benefits could be
realized to students and lenders from moving back to
a short-term index.
(7) At the time that the proposed formula change
was adopted in 1993, the rate of return to lenders
would have been higher under the proposed formula
than under the existing formula.
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(8) The withdrawal of lenders from the FFEL
program, who now account for approximately 70 per-
cent of all student loans, would be devastating to stu-
dents because, as the Administration has acknowl-
edged, the Federal direct loan program would be un-
able to absorb the demand for student loans that
would arise from the absence of guaranteed lenders.
(9) A variety of proposals have been put forward
to resolve this pending crisis in the FFEL program
by modifying the scheduled formula change.
(b) SENSE OF SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate
that the levels in this resolution and legislation enacted pur-
suant to this resolution assume that the documented prob-
lems that will rise from the scheduled formula change for
the Federal Family Education Loan program should be re-
solved in a manner that ensures that students are not
harmed by the withdrawal of lenders from this program.
SEC. 316. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE DEDUCT-
IBILITY OF HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS
OF THE SELF-EMPLOYED.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) under current law, the self-employed do not
enjoy parity with their corporate competitors with re-
spect to the deductibility of their health insurance
premiums;
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at 150–199 percent the rate of uninsured is 40 per-
cent;
(8) for some self-employed, such as farmers who
face significant occupational safety hazards, this lack
of health insurance affordability has even greater
ramifications; and
(9) this lack of full deductibility is adversely af-
fecting the growing number of women who own small
businesses.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
in this resolution assume that legislation implementing this
concurrent resolution on the budget should include acceler-
ated movement toward parity between the self-employed
and corporations with respect to the tax treatment of health
insurance premiums, while maintaining deficit neutrality.
SEC. 317. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON OBJECTION TO KYOTO
PROTOCOL IMPLEMENTATION PRIOR TO SEN-
ATE RATIFICATION.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The agreement reached by the Administra-
tion in Kyoto, Japan, regarding legally binding com-
mitments on greenhouse gas reductions is inconsistent
with the provisions of S. Res. 98, The Byrd-Hagel
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Resolution, that passed the United States Senate
unanimously.
(2) The Administration has pledged to Congress
that it would not implement any portion of the Kyoto
Protocol prior to its ratification in the Senate.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that funds should not be provided to put in effect the Kyoto
Protocol prior to the Senate ratification in compliance with
the requirements of the Byrd-Hagel Resolution and consist-
ent with Administration assurances to Congress.
SEC. 318. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON PRICE INCREASE ON
TOBACCO PRODUCTS OF $1.50 PER PACK.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) smoking rates among children and teenagers
have reached epidemic proportions;
(2) of the 3,000 children and teenagers who begin
smoking every day, 1,000 will eventually die of smok-
ing-related disease; and
(3) public health experts and economists agree
that the most effective and efficient way to achieve
major reduction in youth smoking rates is to raise the
price of tobacco products by at least $1.50 per pack.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that comprehensive tobacco legislation should increase
the price of each pack of cigarettes sold by at least $1.50
HCON 284 EAS
through a per-pack fee or other mechanism that will guar-
antee a price increase of $1.50 per pack within 3 years,
not including existing scheduled Federal, State, and local
tax increases, with equivalent price increases on other to-
bacco products, and should index these price increases by
an appropriate measure of inflation.
SEC. 319. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Congress finds that—
(1) studies have found that quality child care,
particularly for infants and young children, requires
a sensitive, interactive, loving, and consistent care-
giver;
(2) as most parents meet and exceed the criteria
described in paragraph (1), circumstances allowing,
parental care is the best form of child care;
(3) a recent National Institute for Child Health
and Development study found that the greatest factor
in the development of a young child is ‘‘what is hap-
pening at home and in families’’;
(4) as a child’s interaction with his or her par-
ents has the most significant impact on the develop-
ment of the child, any Federal child care policy
should enable and encourage parents to spend more
time with their children;
HCON 284 EAS
(5) nearly 1⁄2 of preschool children have at-home
mothers and only 1⁄3 of preschool children have moth-
ers who are employed full time;
(6) a large number of low- and middle-income
families sacrifice a second full-time income so that a
mother may be at home with her child;
(7) the average income of 2-parent families with
a single income is $20,000 less than the average in-
come of 2-parent families with 2 incomes;
(8) only 30 percent of preschool children are in
families with paid child care and the remaining 70
percent of preschool children are in families that do
not pay for child care, many of which are low- to
middle-income families struggling to provide child
care at home;
(9) child care proposals should not provide fi-
nancial assistance solely to the 30 percent of families
that pay for child care and should not discriminate
against families in which children are cared for by
an at-home parent; and
(10) any congressional proposal that increases
child care funding should provide financial relief to
families that sacrifice an entire income in order that
a mother or father may be at home for a young child.
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(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that the functional totals in this concurrent resolution on
the budget assume that—
(1) many families in the United States make
enormous sacrifices to forego a second income in order
to have a parent care for a child at home;
(2) there should be no bias against at-home par-
ents;
(3) parents choose many different forms of child
care to meet the needs of their families, such as child
care provided by an at-home parent, grandparent,
aunt, uncle, neighbor, nanny, preschool, or child care
center;
(4) any quality child care proposal should in-
clude, as a key component, financial relief for those
families where there is an at-home parent; and
(5) mothers and fathers who have chosen and
continue to choose to be at home should be applauded
for their efforts.
SEC. 320. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING IMMUNITY.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this reso-
lution assume that no immunity will be provided to any
tobacco product manufacturer with respect to any health-
related civil action commenced by a State or local govern-
HCON 284 EAS
mental entity or an individual or class of individuals prior
to or after the date of the adoption of this resolution.
SEC. 321. SENSE OF SENATE REGARDING AGRICULTURAL
TRADE PROGRAMS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals
in this concurrent resolution assume the Secretary of Agri-
culture will use agricultural trade programs established by
law to promote, to the maximum extent practicable, the ex-
port of United States agricultural commodities and prod-
ucts.
SEC. 322. SENSE OF THE SENATE SUPPORTING LONG-TERM
ENTITLEMENT REFORMS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that the resolution
assumes the following—
(1) entitlement spending has risen dramatically
over the last thirty-five years;
(2) in 1963, mandatory spending (i.e. entitle-
ment spending and interest on the debt) made up 30
percent of the budget, this figure rose to 45 percent by
1973, to 56 percent by 1983 and to 61 percent by
1993;
(3) mandatory spending is expected to make up
68 percent of the Federal budget in 1998;
(4) absent changes, that spending is expected to
take up over 70 percent of the Federal budget shortly
HCON 284 EAS
after the year 2000 and 74 percent of the budget by
the year 2008;
(5) if no action is taken, mandatory spending
will consume 100 percent of the budget by the year
2030;
(6) this mandatory spending will continue to
crowd out spending for the traditional ‘‘discre-
tionary’’ functions of Government like clean air and
water, a strong National defense, parks and recre-
ation, education, our transportation system, law en-
forcement, research and development and other infra-
structure spending;
(7) taking significant steps sooner rather than
later to reform entitlement spending will not only
boost economic growth in this country, it will also
prevent the need for drastic tax and spending deci-
sions in the next century.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the levels in this budget resolution assume that Con-
gress and the President should work to enact structural re-
forms in entitlement spending in 1998 and beyond which
sufficiently restrain the growth of mandatory spending in
order to keep the budget in balance over the long term, ex-
tend the solvency of the Social Security and Medicare Trust
Funds, avoid crowding out funding for basic Government
HCON 284 EAS
functions and that every effort should be made to hold man-
datory spending to no more than seventy percent of the
budget.
SEC. 323. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING FREEDOM OF
HEALTH CARE CHOICE FOR MEDICARE SEN-
IORS.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Medicare beneficiaries should have the same
right to obtain health care from the physician or pro-
vider of their choice as do Members of Congress and
virtually all other Americans.
(2) Most seniors are denied this right by current
restrictions on their health care choices.
(3) Affording seniors this option would create
greater health-care choices and result in fewer claims
being paid out of the near-bankrupt Medicare trust
funds.
(4) Legislation to uphold this right of health care
choice for seniors must protect beneficiaries and Medi-
care from fraud and abuse. Such legislation must in-
clude provisions that—
(A) require that such contracts providing
this right be in writing, be signed by the Medi-
care beneficiary, and provide that no claim be
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submitted to the Health Care Financing Admin-
istration;
(B) preclude such contracts when the bene-
ficiary is experiencing a medical emergency;
(C) allow for the Medicare beneficiary to
modify or terminate the contract prospectively at
any time and to return to Medicare; and
(D) are subject to stringent fraud and abuse
law, including the Medicare anti-fraud provi-
sions in the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that seniors have the right to see the physician or health
care provider of their choice, and not be limited in such
right by the imposition of unreasonable conditions on pro-
viders who are willing to treat seniors on a private basis,
and that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
in this resolution assume that legislation will be enacted
to ensure this right.
SEC. 324. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING REPAIR AND
CONSTRUCTION NEEDS OF INDIAN SCHOOLS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) many of our Nation’s tribal schools are in a
state of serious disrepair. The Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs (BIA) operates 187 school facilities nationwide.
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Enrollment in these schools, which presently numbers
47,214 students, has been growing rapidly. A recent
General Accounting Office report indicates that the
repair backlog in these schools totals $754,000,000,
and that the BIA schools are in generally worse con-
dition than all schools nationally;
(2) approximately 60 of these schools are in need
of complete replacement or serious renovation. Many
of the renovations include basic structural repair for
the safety of children, new heating components to keep
students warm, and roofing replacement to keep the
snow and rain out of the classroom. In addition to
failing to provide adequate learning environments for
Indian children, these repair and replacement needs
pose a serious liability issue for the Federal Govern-
ment;
(3) sixty-three percent of the BIA schools are
over 30 years old, and 26 percent are over 50 years
old. Approximately 40 percent of all students in BIA
schools are in portable classrooms. Originally in-
tended as temporary facilities while tribes awaited
new construction funds, these ‘‘portables’’ have a max-
imum 10 year life-span. Because of the construction
backlog, children have been shuffling between class-
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rooms in the harsh climates of the Northern plains
and Western States for 10 to 15 years;
(4) annual appropriations for BIA education fa-
cilities replacement and repair combined have aver-
aged $20,000,000 to $30,000,000 annually, meeting
only 4 percent of total need. At the present rate, one
deteriorating BIA school can be replaced each year,
with estimates of completion of nine schools in the
next seven years. Since the new construction and re-
pair backlog is so great and growing, the current
focus at BIA construction must remain on emergency
and safety needs only, without prioritizing program
needs such as increasing enrollment or technology in
the classroom; and
(5) unlike most schools, the BIA schools are a re-
sponsibility of the Federal Government. Unfortu-
nately, the failure of the Federal Government to live
up to this responsibility has come at the expense of
quality education for some of this Nation’s poorest
children with the fewest existing opportunities to bet-
ter themselves.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
in this budget resolution assume that the repair and con-
struction backlog affecting Bureau of Indian Affairs school
HCON 284 EAS
facilities should be eliminated over a period of no more than
5 years beginning with fiscal year 1999, and that the Presi-
dent should submit to Congress a plan for the orderly elimi-
nation of this backlog.
SEC. 325. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON SOCIAL SECURITY
PERSONAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS AND THE
BUDGET SURPLUS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings:
(1) The Social Security program is the founda-
tion of retirement income for most Americans, and
solving the financial problems of the Social Security
program is a vital national priority and essential for
the retirement security of today’s working Americans
and their families.
(2) There is a growing bipartisan consensus that
personal retirement accounts should be an important
feature of Social Security reform.
(3) Personal retirement accounts can provide a
substantial retirement nest egg and real personal
wealth. For an individual 28 years old on the date
of the adoption of this resolution, earning an average
wage, and retiring at age 65 in 2035, just 1 percent
of that individual’s wages deposited each year in a
personal retirement account and invested in securities
HCON 284 EAS
consisting of the Standard & Poors 500 would grow
to $132,000, and be worth approximately 20 percent
of the benefits that would be provided to the individ-
ual under the current provisions of the Social Secu-
rity program.
(4) Personal retirement accounts would give the
majority of Americans who do not own any invest-
ment assets a new stake in the economic growth of
America.
(5) Personal retirement accounts would dem-
onstrate the value of savings and the magic of com-
pound interest to all Americans. Today, Americans
save less than people in almost every other country.
(6) Personal retirement accounts would help
Americans to better prepare for retirement generally.
According to the Congressional Research Service, 60
percent of Americans are not actively participating
in a retirement plan other than Social Security, al-
though Social Security was never intended to be the
sole source of retirement income.
(7) Personal retirement accounts would allow
partial prefunding of retirement benefits, thereby pro-
viding for Social Security’s future financial stability.
(8) The Federal budget will register a surplus of
$671,000,000,000 over the next 10 years, offering a
HCON 284 EAS
unique opportunity to begin a permanent solution to
Social Security’s financing.
(9) Using the Federal budget surplus to fund
personal retirement accounts would be an important
first step in comprehensive Social Security reform
and ensuring the delivery of promised retirement ben-
efits.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that this resolution assumes that the Committee on Fi-
nance shall consider and report a legislative proposal this
year that would dedicate the Federal budget surplus to the
establishment of a program of personal retirement accounts
for working Americans and reduce the unfunded liabilities
of the Social Security program.
SEC. 326. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE ELIMI-
NATION OF THE MARRIAGE PENALTY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that:
(1) Marriage is the foundation of the American
society and the key institution preserving our values.
(2) The tax code should not penalize those who
choose to marry.
(3) However, the Congressional Budget Office
found that 42 percent of married couples face a mar-
riage penalty under the current tax system.
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(4) The Congressional Budget Office found that
the average penalty amounts to $1,380 a year.
(5) This penalty is one of the factors behind the
decline of marriage.
(6) In 1970, just 0.5 percent of the couples in the
United States were unmarried. By 1996, this percent-
age had risen to 7.2 percent.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the provisions in this budget resolution assume that
the Congress shall begin to phase out the marriage penalty
this year.
SEC. 327. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING
AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE
FOR SENIORS.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Seniors deserve affordable, high quality
health care.
(2) The Medicare program under title XVIII of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) has
made health care affordable for millions of seniors.
(3) Beneficiaries under the Medicare program
deserve to know that such program will cover the ben-
efits that they are currently entitled to.
HCON 284 EAS
(4) Beneficiaries under the Medicare program
can pay out-of-pocket for health care services when-
ever they—
(A) do not want a claim for reimbursement
for such services submitted to such program; or
(B) want or need to obtain health care serv-
ices that such program does not cover.
(5) Beneficiaries under the Medicare program
can use doctors who do not receive any reimbursement
under such program.
(6) Close to 75 percent of seniors have annual
incomes below $25,000, including 4 percent who have
annual incomes below $5,000, making any additional
out-of-pocket costs for health care services extremely
burdensome.
(7) Very few beneficiaries under the Medicare
program report having difficulty obtaining access to
a physician who accepts reimbursement under such
program.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that the assumptions underlying the functional totals in
this resolution assume that seniors have the right to afford-
able, high-quality health care, that they have the right to
choose their physicians, and that no change should be made
to the Medicare program that could—
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(1) impose unreasonable and unpredictable out-
of-pocket costs for seniors or erode the benefits that the
38,000,000 beneficiaries under the Medicare program
are entitled to;
(2) compromise the efforts of the Secretary of
Health and Human Services to screen inappropriate
or fraudulent claims for reimbursement under such
program; and
(3) allow unscrupulous providers under such
program to bill twice for the same services.
SEC. 328. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PERMANENT
EXTENSION OF INCOME AVERAGING FOR
FARMERS.
It is the sense of Congress that the provisions of this
resolution assume that if the revenue levels are reduced pur-
suant to section 201 of this resolution for tax legislation,
such amount as is necessary shall be used to permanently
extend income averaging for farmers for purposes of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986.
SEC. 329. SENSE OF THE SENATE TO MAINTAIN FULL FUND-
ING FOR THE SECTION 202 ELDERLY HOUS-
ING PROGRAM.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
(1) The Section 202 Elderly Housing program is
the most important housing program for elderly, low-
HCON 284 EAS
income Americans, providing both affordable low-in-
come housing and supportive services designed to meet
the special needs of the elderly.
(2) Since 1959, the Section 202 Elderly Housing
program has funded some 5,400 elderly housing
projects with over 330,000 housing units, with the
current average tenant in Section 202 housing being
a frail, older woman in her seventies, living alone
with an income of less than $10,000 per year.
(3) The combination of affordable housing and
supportive services under the Section 202 Elderly
Housing program is critical to promoting independ-
ent living, self-sufficiency, and dignity for the elderly
while delaying more costly institutional care.
(4) There are over 1.4 million elderly Americans
currently identified as having ‘‘worst case housing
needs’’ and in need of affordable housing.
(5) There are 33 million Americans aged 65 and
over, some 13 percent of all Americans. The number
of elderly Americans is anticipated to grow to over 69
million by the year 2030, which would be some 20
percent of all Americans, and continue to increase to
almost 80 million by 2050.
(6) The President’s Budget Request for fiscal
year 1999 proposes reducing funding for the Section
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(6) The restructuring imposed on the Depart-
ment of Defense would have a devastating impact on
readiness, troop morale, military quality of life, and
ongoing procurement and development programs.
(7) The restructuring of the budget would be
driven solely by differing statistical estimates made
by capable parties.
(8) In a letter currently under review, the Direc-
tor of the Office of Management and Budget will iden-
tify multiple differences between the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget’s estimated outlay rates and the
Congressional Budget Office’s estimated outlay rates.
(9) New information on Department of Defense
policy changes and program execution plans now per-
mit the Office of Management and Budget and the
Congressional Budget Office to reevaluate their initial
projections of fiscal year 1999 outlay rates.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the totals underlying this concurrent resolution on
the budget assume that not later than April 22, 1998, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Sec-
retary of Defense, and the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office shall complete discussions and develop a com-
mon estimate of the projected fiscal year 1999 outlay rates
for Department of Defense accounts.
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SEC. 331. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING OUTLAY ESTI-
MATES FOR THE BUDGETS OF FEDERAL
AGENCIES OTHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings:
(1) The Federal civilian workforce in non-De-
fense Department agencies shrank by 125,000 employ-
ees, or 10 percent, between 1992 and 1997.
(2) The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 assumed
over $60,000,000,000 in reductions in nondefense dis-
cretionary spending over the period 1998–2002.
(3) These reductions were agreed to notwith-
standing ever-increasing responsibilities in agencies
engaged in fighting crime, combating the drug war,
countering terrorist threats, cleaning the environment,
enforcing the law, improving education, conducting
health research, conducting energy research and devel-
opment, enhancing the Nation’s physical infrastruc-
ture, and providing veterans programs.
(4) All Federal agencies have worked closely with
the Office of Management and Budget to balance
much-needed programmatic needs with fiscal pru-
dence and to submit budget requests for fiscal year
1999 that comply with the Balanced Budget Act of
1997.
HCON 284 EAS
(5) Reductions in the President’s requests, as es-
timated by the Office of Management and Budget, to
comply with the Congressional Budget Office’s esti-
mates could seriously jeopardize priority domestic
discretionary programs.
(6) There is no mechanism through which the
Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Man-
agement and Budget identify their differences in out-
lay rates for nondefense agencies.
(7) Such consultation would lead to greater un-
derstanding between the two agencies and potentially
fewer and/or smaller differences in the future.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the totals underlying this concurrent resolution on
the budget assume that not later than April 22, 1998, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, in consultation
with the Secretaries of the affected nondefense agencies, shall
complete discussions and develop a common estimate of the
projected fiscal year 1999 outlay rates for accounts in non-
defense agencies.
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SEC. 332. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING AN EVALUA-
TION OF THE OUTCOME OF WELFARE RE-
FORM.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budgetary levels
in this resolution assume that—
(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services
will, as part of the annual report to Congress under
section 411 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
611), include data regarding the rate of employment,
job retention, and earnings characteristics of former
recipients of assistance under the State programs
funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) for each such State pro-
gram; and
(2) for purposes of the annual report for fiscal
year 1997, the information described in paragraph
(1) will be transmitted to Congress not later than
September 1, 1998.
SEC. 333. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE ESTAB-
LISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BACKGROUND
CHECK SYSTEM FOR LONG-TERM CARE WORK-
ERS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings:
(1) The impending retirement of the baby boom
generation will greatly increase the demand and need
HCON 284 EAS
for quality long-term care and it is incumbent on
Congress and the President to ensure that Medicare
and Medicaid patients are protected from abuse, ne-
glect, and mistreatment.
(2) Although the majority of long-term care fa-
cilities do an excellent job in caring for elderly and
disabled patients, incidents of abuse and neglect and
mistreatment do occur at an unacceptable rate and
are not limited to nursing homes alone.
(3) Current Federal and State safeguards are in-
adequate because there is little or no information
sharing between States about known abusers and no
common State procedures for tracking abusers from
State to State and facility to facility.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
in this concurrent resolution on the budget assume that a
national registry of abusive long-term care workers should
be established by building upon existing infrastructures at
the Federal and State levels that would enable long-term
care providers who participate in the Medicare and Medic-
aid programs (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.; 1396 et seq.) to con-
duct background checks on prospective employees.
HCON 284 EAS
SEC. 334. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON EXPANDING MEDI-
CARE BENEFITS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
(1) In the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement,
changes were made to Medicare that extended the sol-
vency of the Trust Fund for 10 years.
(2) The Medicare Commission, also established
in the Balanced Budget Agreement, has just started
the task of examining the Medicare program in an ef-
fort to make sound policy recommendations to Con-
gress and the Administration about what needs to be
done to ensure that Medicare is financially prepared
to handle the added burden when the baby boomers
begin retiring.
(3) The problems facing Medicare are not about
more revenues. The program needs to do more to im-
prove the health care status of retirees and give them
more choices and better information to make wise
consumer decisions when purchasing health care serv-
ices.
(4) Improving the health care status of senior
citizens would ensure additional savings for Medicare.
Helping seniors stay healthier should be a priority of
any legislation aimed at protecting Medicare.
(5) In order to keep seniors healthier, Medicare
has to become more prevention based. Currently,
HCON 284 EAS
Medicare offers prevention benefits, and the Balanced
Budget Act of 1997 made a substantial investment in
prevention benefits, providing $8,500,000,000 over 10
years.
(6) Preventing illnesses or long hospital stays or
repeated hospital stays will save Medicare dollars.
(7) Medicare cannot be saved without structural
changes and reforms.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals underlying this resolution as-
sume that the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 directed the
National Bipartisan Commission on the future of Medicare
to examine Medicare’s benefit structure, including preven-
tion benefits, and make recommendations to the Congress
on such benefits in the context of an overall plan to extend
the solvency of the program.
SEC. 335. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON BATTLEFIELD PRESER-
VATION.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budget levels in
this resolution assume that—
(1) preserving Revolutionary War, War of 1812,
and Civil War battlefields is an integral part of pre-
serving our Nation’s history;
(2) the Secretary of the Interior should give spe-
cial priority to the preservation of Revolutionary War
HCON 284 EAS
and War of 1812 battlefields, by making funds avail-
able for the conduct of the Revolutionary War and
War of 1812 Historic Preservation Study as author-
ized by section 603 of Public Law 104–333 (16 U.S.C.
1a–5 note); and
(3) the Secretary of the Interior should give spe-
cial priority to the preservation of Revolutionary
War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefields by allo-
cating funds in the Land and Water Conservation
Fund for the purchase of battlefield sites the integrity
of which is threatened by urban or suburban develop-
ment.
SEC. 336. A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE SENATE’S SUP-
PORT FOR FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) our Federal, State and local law enforcement
officers provide essential services that preserve and
protect our freedom and safety, and with the support
of Federal assistance, State and local law enforcement
officers have succeeded in reducing the national
scourge of violent crime, illustrated by a murder rate
in 1996 which is projected to be the lowest since 1971
and a violent crime total in 1996 which is the lowest
since 1990;
HCON 284 EAS
(2) through a comprehensive effort to attack vio-
lence against women mounted by State and local law
enforcement, and dedicated volunteers and profes-
sionals who provide victim services, shelter, counsel-
ing and advocacy to battered women and their chil-
dren, important strides have been made against the
national scourge of violence against women, illus-
trated by the decline in the murder rate for wives, ex-
wives and girlfriends at the hands of their ‘‘inti-
mates’’ fell to a 19-year low in 1995;
(3) recent gains by Federal, State and local law
enforcement in the fight against violent crime and vi-
olence against women are fragile, and continued fi-
nancial commitment from the Federal Government for
funding and financial assistance is required to sus-
tain and build upon these gains; and
(4) the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund as
adopted by the Violent Crime Control and Law En-
forcement Act of 1994 funds the Violent Crime Con-
trol and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Violence
Against Women Act of 1994, and the Antiterrorism
and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 without add-
ing to the Federal budget deficit.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the provisions and the functional totals underlying
HCON 284 EAS
this resolution assume the Federal Government’s commit-
ment to fund Federal law enforcement programs and pro-
grams to assist State and local efforts to combat violent
crime, including violence against women, shall be main-
tained and funding for the Violent Crime Reduction Trust
Fund shall continue to at least fiscal year 2003.
SEC. 337. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ANALYSIS OF CIVILIAN
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS IN
THE FEDERAL BUDGET.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
(1) The National Academy of Sciences, National
Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine
have recommended, in their 1995 report, entitled ‘‘Al-
locating Federal Funds for Science and Technology’’,
that the Federal science and technology budget ‘‘be
presented as a comprehensive whole in the President’s
budget and similarly considered as a whole at the be-
ginning of the congressional budget process before the
total Federal budget is disaggregated and sent to the
appropriations committees and subcommittees’’.
(2) Civilian Federal agencies are supporting
more than $35,000,000,000 of research and develop-
ment in fiscal year 1998, but it is difficult for the
Congress and the public to track or understand this
HCON 284 EAS
support because it is dispersed among 12 different
budget functions.
(3) A meaningful examination of the overall
Federal budget for science and technology, consistent
with the recommendation of the National Academies,
as well as an examination of science and technology
budgets in individual civilian agencies, would be fa-
cilitated if the President’s budget request clearly dis-
played the amounts requested for science and tech-
nology programs across all civilian agencies and clas-
sified these amounts in Budget Function 250.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the congressional budget for the United States for
fiscal years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 should con-
solidate the spending for all Federal civilian science and
technology programs in Budget Function 250, and that the
President should accordingly transmit to the Congress a
budget request for fiscal year 2000 that classifies these pro-
grams, across all Federal civilian departments and agen-
cies, in Budget Function 250.
SEC. 338. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON CIVILIAN SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS IN THE FED-
ERAL BUDGET.
It is the sense of the Senate that the assumptions un-
derlying the function totals in this budget resolution assume
HCON 284 EAS
that expenditures for civilian science and technology pro-
grams in the Federal budget will double over the period
from fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year 2008.
SEC. 339. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON LONG-TERM BUDGET-
ING AND REPAYMENT OF THE PUBLIC DEBT.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) today, there are 34,000,000 Americans over
the age of 65, and by the year 2030, that number will
grow to nearly 70,000,000;
(2) in 1963, mandatory spending represented 30
percent of the Federal budget, while discretionary
spending made up 70 percent, and by 1998, those
proportions have almost completely reversed, in that
mandatory spending now accounts for 68 percent of
the Federal budget, while discretionary spending rep-
resents 32 percent;
(3) according to the 1997 Annual Report of the
Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Sur-
vivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
Trust Fund—
(A) the difference between the income and
benefits for the OASDI program is a deficit of
2.23 percent of taxable payroll;
HCON 284 EAS
(B) the assets in the Trust Fund are ex-
pected to be depleted under present law in the
year 2029;
(C) by the time the assets in the Trust Fund
are depleted, annual tax revenues will be suffi-
cient to cover only three-fourths of the annual ex-
penditures;
(D) intermediate estimates are that OASDI
will absorb nearly 17.5 percent of national pay-
roll by the year 2030; and
(E) the cost of the OASDI program is esti-
mated to rise from its current level of 4.7 percent
of Gross Domestic Product to 6.7 percent by the
end of the 75-year projection period;
(4) according to reports by the Congressional
Budget Office, the Economic and Budget Outlook:
Fiscal Years 1999-2008 (January 1998) and Reduc-
ing the Deficit: Spending and Revenue Options
(March 1997)—
(A) the Medicare Part A Trust Fund will be
exhausted early in fiscal year 2010;
(B) enrollment in Medicare will increase
dramatically as the baby boomers reach age 65;
(C) between the years 2010 and 2030, en-
rollment in Medicare is projected to grow by 2.4
HCON 284 EAS
percent per year, up from the 1.4 percent aver-
age annual growth projected through 2007;
(D) by the year 2030, Medicare enrollment
will have doubled, to 75,000,000 people; and
(E) the increase in Medicare enrollment
caused by the aging of the population will be ac-
companied by a tapering of the growth rate of
the working age population, and the number of
workers will drop from 3.8 for every Medicare
beneficiary in 1997 to 2.02 per beneficiary by
2030;
(5) the demographic shift that is currently tak-
ing place, and will continue for the next 30 years,
will put a tremendous burden on workers as the cost
of programs such as Social Security and Medicare
are borne by proportionately fewer workers;
(6) the current Budget Resolution, which projects
revenues and spending only for the next 10 years,
does not give Congress a clear picture of the budget
problems that confront the United States shortly after
the turn of the century;
(7) currently, 14 percent of the Federal budget is
spent on interest payments on the national debt; and
(8) if projected surpluses are used entirely for
debt reduction and current tax and spending policies
HCON 284 EAS
remain unchanged, the share of Federal income need-
ed to pay interest would drop below 5 percent within
12 years, and in 1997, that 10 percentage-point re-
duction would have amounted to $158,000,000,000
available for other priorities.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals in this concurrent resolution
assume that future budget resolutions and future budgets
submitted by the President should include—
(1) an analysis for the period of 30 fiscal years
beginning with such fiscal year, of the estimated levels
of total budget outlays and total new budget author-
ity, the estimated revenues to be received, the esti-
mated surplus or deficit, if any, for each major Fed-
eral entitlement program for each fiscal year in such
period; and
(2) a specific accounting of payments, if any,
made to reduce the public debt, or unfunded liabilities
associated with each major Federal entitlement pro-
gram.
SEC. 340. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING PRESIDENT’S
BUDGET.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budgetary levels
in this resolution assume that the President should submit,
as part of the budget request of the President that is submit-
HCON 284 EAS
ted to Congress, a study of the impact of the provisions of
the budget on each generation of Americans and its long-
term effects on each generation.
SEC. 341. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE VALUE
OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM FOR FU-
TURE RETIREES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings:
(1) The Social Security system has allowed a
generation of Americans to retire with dignity.
Today, 13 percent of the population is 65 or older
and by 2030, 20 percent of the population will be 65
or older. More than 1⁄2 of the elderly do not receive
private pensions and more than 1⁄3 have no income
from assets.
(2) For 60 percent of all senior citizens, Social
Security benefits provide almost 80 percent of their
retirement income. For 80 percent of all senior citi-
zens, Social Security benefits provide over 50 percent
of their retirement income.
(3) Poverty rates among the elderly are at the
lowest level since the United States began to keep pov-
erty statistics, due in large part to the Social Secu-
rity system.
HCON 284 EAS
(4) 78 percent of Americans pay more in payroll
taxes than they do in income taxes.
(5) According to the 1997 report of the Manag-
ing Trustee for the Social Security trust funds, the
accumulated balance in the Federal Old-Age and Sur-
vivors Insurance Trust Fund is estimated to fall to
zero by 2029, and the estimated payroll tax at that
time will be sufficient to cover only 75 percent of the
benefits owed to retirees at that time.
(6) The average American retiring in the year
2015 will pay $250,000 in payroll taxes over the
course of a working career.
(7) Future generations of Americans must be
guaranteed the same value from the Social Security
system as past covered recipients.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the budgetary levels in this resolution assume that
no change in the Social Security system should be made
that would reduce the value of the Social Security system
for future generations of retirees.
SEC. 342. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE LAND AND WATER
CONSERVATION FUND.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budget levels in
this resolution assume that programs funded from the Land
HCON 284 EAS
and Water Conservation Fund should be funded in the full
amount authorized by law.
SEC. 343. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON EDUCATION GOALS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals
underlying this resolution assume that the Federal Govern-
ment should work hand-in-hand with States, school dis-
tricts, and local leaders—
(1) to accomplish the following goals by the year
2005:
(A) establish achievement levels and assess-
ments in every grade for the core academic cur-
riculum; measure each regular student’s perform-
ance; and prohibit the practice of social pro-
motion of students (promoting students routinely
from one grade to the next without regard to
their academic achievement);
(B) provide remedial programs for students
whose achievement levels indicate they should not
be promoted to the next grade;
(C) create smaller schools to enable students
to have closer interaction with teachers;
(D) require at least 180 days per year of
instruction in core curriculum subjects;
(E) recruit new teachers who are adequately
trained and credentialed in the subject or sub-
HCON 284 EAS
jects they teach and encourage excellent, experi-
enced teachers to remain in the classroom by
providing adequate salaries; require all teachers
to be credentialed and limit emergency or tem-
porary teaching credentials to a limited period
of time; hold teachers and principals accountable
to high educational standards; and
(F) require all regular students to pass an
examination in basic core curriculum subjects in
order to receive a high school diploma; and
(2) to reaffirm the importance of public school-
ing and commit to guaranteeing excellence and ac-
countability in the public schools of this Nation.
SEC. 344. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF THE SENATE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) while it is important to study the effects of
class size on learning and study the need to hire more
teachers, each type of study must be carried out in
conjunction with an effort to ensure that there will be
quality teachers in every classroom;
(2) all children deserve well-educated teachers;
(3) there is a teacher quality crisis in the United
States;
(4) individuals entering a classroom as teachers
should have a sound grasp on the subject the individ-
100
HCON 284 EAS
uals intend to teach, and the individuals should know
how to teach;
(5) less than 40 percent of the individuals teach-
ing core subjects (consisting of English, mathematics,
science, social studies, and foreign languages) majored
or minored in the core subjects;
(6) the quality of teachers impacts student
achievement;
(7) the measure of a good teacher is how much
and how well the teacher’s students learn;
(8) teachers should have the opportunity to learn
new technology and teaching methods through the es-
tablishment of teacher training facilities so that
teachers can share their new knowledge and experi-
ences with children in the classroom;
(9) school officials should have the flexibility the
officials need to have teachers in their schools ade-
quately trained to meet strenuous teacher standards;
(10) knowledgeable and eager individuals of
sound character and various professional backgrounds
should be encouraged to enter kindergarten through
grade 12 classrooms as teachers; and
(11) States should have maximum flexibility and
incentives to create alternative teacher certification
101
HCON 284 EAS
and licensure programs in order to recruit well-edu-
cated people into the teaching profession.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals in this concurrent resolution
on the budget assume—
(1) the enactment of legislation to provide assist-
ance for programs that—
(A) focus on teacher training delivered
through local partnerships, with private and
public partners, to ensure that current and fu-
ture teachers possess necessary teaching skills
and knowledge of subject areas; and
(B) focus on alternative certification to re-
cruit knowledgeable and eager individuals of
sound character to enter kindergarten through
grade 12 classrooms as teachers;
(2) that the quality of teachers can be strength-
ened by improving the academic knowledge of teachers
in the subject areas in which the teachers teach;
(3) that institutions of higher education should
be held accountable to prepare teachers who are highly
competent in the subject areas in which the teachers
teach, including preparing teachers by providing
training in the effective uses of technologies in class-
rooms; and
102
HCON 284 EAS
(4) that there should be recruitment into teach-
ing of high quality individuals, including individuals
from other occupations.
SEC. 345. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON INS CIRCUIT RIDERS
IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.
It is the sense of the Senate that the provisions of this
resolution assume that included in the funding for the Im-
migration and Naturalization Service (INS) is $2,000,000
for the establishment of INS circuit riders in the former
Soviet Union for the purpose of processing refugees and con-
ducting medical examinations of refugees who will enter the
United States under the Refugee Act of 1980.
SEC. 346. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING FUNDING
FOR THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
It is the sense of the Senate that the congressional
budget for the United States Government as provided for
in this resolution should assure that—
(1) the contract authority level for the Airport
Improvement Program (provided for in part B of sub-
title VII of title 49, United States Code) not be re-
duced below the current level of $2,347,000,000; and
(2) the critical infrastructure development,
maintenance, and repair of airports not be jeopard-
ized.
103
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SEC. 347. SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE ONE HUNDRED
FIFTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION SHOULD
REAUTHORIZE FUNDS FOR THE FARMLAND
PROTECTION PROGRAM.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings—
(1) eighteen States and dozens of localities have
spent nearly $1,000,000,000 to protect over 600,000
acres of important farmland;
(2) the Farmland Protection Program has pro-
vided cost-sharing for 18 States and dozens of local-
ities to protect over 82,000 acres on 230 farms since
1996;
(3) the Farmland Protection Program has gen-
erated new interest in saving farmland in commu-
nities around the country;
(4) the Farmland Protection Program represents
an innovative and voluntary partnership, rewards
local ingenuity, and supports local priorities;
(5) current funds authorized for the Farmland
Protection Program will be exhausted in the next six
months;
(6) the United States is losing two acres of our
best farmland to development every minute of every
day;
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(7) these lands produce three quarters of the
fruits and vegetables and over one half of the dairy
in the United States.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals contained in this resolution
assume that the One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Ses-
sion will reauthorize funds for the Farmland Protection
Program.
SEC. 348. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON HEALTH CARE QUAL-
ITY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings—
(1) out of a total 549 plans under the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program, which includes
fee-for-service, point of service, and Health Mainte-
nance Organizations, only 186 were fully accredited;
(2) out of a total 549 plans under the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program, which includes
fee-for-service, point of service, and Health Mainte-
nance Organizations, 7 were denied accreditation.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying this resolution provide
for the enactment of legislation requiring all health plans
participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program to be accredited by a nationally recognized accred-
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itation organization representative of a spectrum of health
care interests including purchasers, consumers, providers
and health plans.
SEC. 349. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING WASTEFUL
SPENDING IN DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ACQUI-
SITION PRACTICES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) according to the Defense Department’s In-
spector General, despite efforts to streamline Govern-
ment purchases, the military, in some cases, paid
more than ‘‘fair value’’ for many items;
(2) efficient purchasing policies, in the context of
decreasing defense budgets, are more important than
ever to ensure Defense Department spending contrib-
utes to military readiness.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the provisions of this resolution assume that the
Defense Department should continue efforts to eliminate
wasteful spending such that defense spending allocated in
the fiscal year 1999 budget, and all subsequent budgets, is
spent in the manner most efficient to maintain and pro-
mote military readiness for United States Armed Forces
around the globe.
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SEC. 350. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE UNITED
STATES RESPONSE TO THE CHANGING NA-
TURE OF TERRORISM.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) the threat of terrorism to American citizens
and interests remains high, with Americans suffering
one-third of the total terrorist attacks in the world in
1997;
(2) the terrorist threat is changing—while past
acts were generally limited to the use of conventional
explosives and weapons, terrorists today are exploit-
ing technological advances and increasingly lethal
tools and strategies to pursue their agenda;
(3) on a worldwide basis, terrorists are focusing
on afflicting mass casualties on civilian targets
through the acquisition of chemical, biological and
nuclear weapons of mass destruction;
(4) chemical and biological weapons in the
hands of terrorists or rogue nations constitute a
threat to the United States;
(5) the multifaceted nature of the terrorist threat
encompasses not only foreign terrorists targeting
American citizens and interests abroad, but foreign
terrorists operating within the United States itself, as
well as domestic terrorists;
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(6) terrorists groups are becoming increasingly
multinational, more associated with criminal activ-
ity, and less responsive to external influences;
(7) terrorists exploit America’s free and open so-
ciety to illegally enter the country, raise funds, re-
cruit new members, spread propaganda, and plan fu-
ture activities;
(8) terrorists are also making use of computer
technology to communicate, solicit money and sup-
port, and store information essential to their oper-
ations;
(9) State sponsors of terrorism and other foreign
countries are known to be developing computer intru-
sion and manipulation capabilities which could pose
a threat to essential public and private information
systems in the United States;
(10) the infrastructures deemed critical to the
United States are the telecommunications networks,
the electric power grid, oil and gas distribution, water
distribution facilities, transportation systems, finan-
cial networks, emergency services, and the continuity
of Government services, the disruption of which could
result in significant losses to the United States eco-
nomic well-being, public welfare, or national security;
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HCON 284 EAS
(11) a national strategy of infrastructure protec-
tion, as required by the Defense Appropriations Act
of 1996, and subsequent amendments, has yet to be
issued; and
(12) we as a Nation remain fundamentally un-
prepared to respond in a coordinated and effective
manner to these growing terrorist threats.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the provisions of this resolution assume that—
(1) the Federal Government must take the lead
in establishing effective coordination between intel-
ligence-gathering and law enforcement agencies,
among Federal, State, and local levels of Government,
and with the private sector, for the purpose of assess-
ing, warning, and protecting against terrorist at-
tacks;
(2) technical preparedness for the detection and
analysis of chemical and biological weapons, and for
swift and adequate emergency response to their use by
terrorists, must be a near-term continuing priority;
(3) the United States must seek full inter-
national cooperation in securing the capture and con-
viction of terrorists who attack or pose a threat to
American citizens and interests;
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(4) the United States should fully enforce its
laws intended to deny foreign terrorist organizations
the ability to raise money in the United States, pre-
vent the evasion of our immigration laws and further-
ing of criminal activities, and curtail the use of our
country as a base of operations; and
(5) a national strategy, adequate to addressing
the complexity of protecting our critical infrastruc-
tures, and as required by the Defense Appropriations
Act of 1996 and subsequent amendments, must be
completed and implemented immediately.
SEC. 351. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH,
SOCIAL SECURITY, AND GOVERNMENT EFFI-
CIENCY.
It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals
underlying this resolution assume that—
(1) the elimination of a discretionary spending
program may be used for either tax cuts or to reform
the Social Security system;
(2) the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act
of 1985, and other appropriate budget rules and laws
should be amended to implement the policy stated in
paragraph (1).
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HCON 284 EAS
SEC. 352. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING A SUPER-
MAJORITY 
REQUIREMENT 
FOR 
RAISING
TAXES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) the Nation’s current tax system is indefensi-
ble, being overly complex, burdensome, and severely
limiting to economic opportunity for all Americans;
(2) fundamental tax reform should be undertaken
as soon as practicable to produce a tax system that—
(A) applies a low tax rate, through easily
understood laws, to all Americans;
(B) provides tax relief for working Ameri-
cans;
(C) protects the rights of taxpayers and re-
duces tax collection abuses;
(D) eliminates the bias against savings and
investment;
(E) promotes economic growth and job cre-
ation;
(F) does not penalize marriage or families;
and
(G) provides for a taxpayer-friendly collec-
tions process to replace the Internal Revenue
Service; and
(3) the stability and longevity of any new tax
system designed to achieve these goals should be guar-
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HCON 284 EAS
anteed with a supermajority vote requirement so that
Congress cannot easily raise tax rates, impose new
taxes, or otherwise increase the amount of a tax-
payer’s income that is subject to tax.
(b) SENSE OF SENATE.—It is the sense of Senate that
the assumptions underlying the functional totals of this res-
olution assume fundamental tax reform that is accom-
panied by a proposal to amend the Constitution of the
United States to require a supermajority vote in each House
of Congress to approve tax increases.
SEC. 353. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON HEALTH CARE QUAL-
ITY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following find-
ings:
(1) Rapid changes in the health care marketplace
have compromised confidence in the our Nation’s
health system.
(2) American consumers want more convenience,
fewer hassles, more choices, and better service from
their health insurance plans.
(3) All Americans deserve quality-driven health
care supported by sound science and evidence-based
medicine.
(4) The Federal Government, through the Na-
tional Institutes of Health, supports research that im-
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proves the quality of medical care that Americans re-
ceive.
(5) This resolution assumes increased funding
for the National Institutes of Health for 1999 of
$15,100,000,000, an 11-percent increase over current
funding levels, which are 7 percent higher than in
1997.
(6) As the largest purchaser of health care serv-
ices, the Federal Government has a responsibility to
utilize its purchasing power to demand high quality
health plans and providers for its health programs
and to protect its beneficiaries from inferior medical
care.
(7) The Federal Government must adopt the pos-
ture of private sector purchasers and insist on high
quality care for the 67,000,000 Medicare and Medic-
aid beneficiaries and the 9,000,000 Federal employees,
retirees, and their dependents.
(8) The private sector has proven to be more ca-
pable of keeping pace with the rapid changes in
health care delivery and medical practice that affect
quality of care considerations than the Federal Gov-
ernment.
(9) As Congress considers health care legislation,
it must first commit to ‘‘do no harm’’ to health care
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quality, consumers, and the evolving market place.
Rushing to legislate or regulate based on anecdotal in-
formation and micro-managing health plans on po-
litically popular issues will not solve the problems of
consumer confidence and the quality of our health
care system.
(10) When health insurance premiums rise,
Americans lose health coverage. Studies indicate that
a 1 percent increase in private health insurance pre-
miums will be associated with an increase in the
number of persons without insurance of about 400,000
persons.
(11) Health care costs have begun to rise signifi-
cantly in the past year. The Congressional Budget Of-
fice (referred to as ‘‘CBO’’) projects that the growth
in health premiums will be 5.5 percent in 1998 up
from 3.8 percent in 1997. CBO continues to project
that premiums will grow about 1 percentage point
faster than the Gross Domestic Product in the longer
run. CBO also warns that new Federal mandates on
health insurance could exacerbate this increase in pre-
miums.
(12) The President’s Advisory Commission on
Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care
Industry developed the Consumer Bill of Rights and
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HCON 284 EAS
Responsibilities. This includes information disclosure,
confidentiality of health information, and choice of
providers.
(13) The President’s Commission further deter-
mined that private sector organizations have the ca-
pacity to act in a timely manner needed to keep pace
with the swiftly evolving health system.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying this resolution assume
that the Senate will not pass any health care legislation
that will—
(1) make health insurance unaffordable for work-
ing families and increase the number of uninsured
Americans;
(2) divert limited health care resources away
from serving patients to paying lawyers and hiring
new bureaucrats; or
(3) impose political considerations on clinical
decisions, instead of allowing such decisions to be
made on the basis of sound science and the best inter-
ests of patients.
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SEC. 354. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE USE OF BUDGET
SURPLUS FOR TAX RELIEF OR DEBT REDUC-
TION.
It is the sense of the Senate that this resolution as-
sumes that any budget surplus should be dedicated to debt
reduction or direct tax relief for hard-working American
families.
SEC. 355. USE OF BUDGET SURPLUS TO REFORM SOCIAL SE-
CURITY.
It is the sense of the Senate that the assumptions un-
derlying the functional totals included in the resolution as-
sume:
(1) The Congress and the President should use
any budget surplus to reduce the Social Security pay-
roll tax and to establish personal retirement accounts
with the tax reduction for hard-working Americans.
(2) The Congress and the President should not
use the Social Security surplus to finance general
Government programs and other spending, should
begin to build real assets for the trust funds, and
work to reform the Social Security system.
SEC. 356. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON COLOMBIAN DRUG
WAR HELICOPTERS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) Colombia is the leading illicit drug produc-
ing country in the Western Hemisphere;
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HCON 284 EAS
(2) 80 percent of the world’s cocaine originates
in Colombia;
(3) based on the most recent data of the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), more than 60
percent of the heroin seized in the United States origi-
nates in Colombia;
(4) in the last 10 years more than 4,000 officers
of the Colombian National Police have died fighting
the scourge of drugs;
(5) in one recent year alone, according to data
of the United States Government, the United States
had 141,000 new heroin users and the United States
faces historic levels of heroin use among teenagers be-
tween the ages of 12 and 17;
(6) once Colombian heroin is in the stream of
commerce it is nearly impossible to interdict because
it is concealed and trafficked in very small quantities;
(7) the best and most cost efficient method of pre-
venting Colombian heroin from entering the United
States is to destroy the opium poppies in the high
Andes mountains where Colombian heroin is pro-
duced;
(8) the elite anti-narcotics unit of the Colombian
National Police has the responsibility to eradicate
both coca and opium in Colombia, including the re-
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duction and elimination of cocaine and heroin pro-
duction, and they have done a remarkably effective
job with the limited and outdated equipment at their
disposal;
(9) more than 40 percent of the anti-narcotics
operations of the Colombian National Police involve
hostile ground fire from narco-terrorists and 90 per-
cent of such operations involve the use of helicopters;
(10) the need for better high performance heli-
copters by the Colombian National Police, especially
for use in the high Andes mountains, is essential for
more effective eradication of opium in Colombia;
(11) on December 23, 1997, one of the antiquated
Vietnam-era UH–1H Huey helicopters used by the
Colombian National Police in an opium eradication
mission crashed in the high Andes mountains due to
high winds and because it was flying above the safety
level recommended by the original manufacturer;
(12) in the Foreign Operations, Export Financ-
ing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1998
(Public Law 105–118), amounts were appropriated
for the procurement by the United States for the Co-
lombian National Police of three UH–60L Blackhawk
utility helicopters that can operate safely and more
effectively at the high altitudes of the Andes moun-
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tains where Colombian opium grows at altitudes as
high as 12,000 feet;
(13) the Blackhawk helicopter is a high perform-
ance utility helicopter, with greater lift capacity, that
can perform at the high altitudes of the Andes moun-
tains, as well as survive crashes and sustain ground
fire, much better than any other utility helicopter
now available to the Colombian National Police in
the war on drugs;
(14) because the Vietnam-era Huey helicopters
that the United States has provided the Colombian
National Police are outdated and have been develop-
ing numerous stress cracks, a sufficient number
should be upgraded to Huey II’s and the remainder
should be phased-out as soon as possible;
(15) these Huey helicopters are much older than
most of the pilots who fly them, do not have the range
due to limited fuel capacity to reach many of the ex-
panding locations of the coca fields or cocaine labs in
southern Colombia, nor do they have the lift capacity
to carry enough armed officers to reach and secure the
opium fields in the high Andes mountains prior to
eradication;
(16) the elite anti-narcotics unit of the Colom-
bian National Police has a stellar record in respecting
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HCON 284 EAS
for human rights and has received the commendation
of a leading international human rights group in
their operations to reduce and eradicate illicit drugs
in Colombia;
(17) the narco-terrorists of Colombia have an-
nounced that they will now target United States citi-
zens, particularly those United States citizens work-
ing with their Colombian counterparts in the fight
against illicit drugs in Colombia;
(18) a leading commander of the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (‘‘FARC’’) announced re-
cently that the objective of these narco-terrorists, in
light of recent successes, will be ‘‘to defeat the Ameri-
cans’’;
(19) United States Government personnel in Co-
lombia who fly in these helicopters accompanying the
Colombian National Police on missions are now at
even greater risk from these narco-terrorists and their
drug trafficking allies;
(20) in the last six months four anti-narcotics
helicopters of the Colombian National Police have
been downed in operations;
(21) Congress intends to provide the necessary
support and assistance to wage an effective war on il-
licit drugs in Colombia and provide the equipment
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and assistance needed to protect all of the men and
women of the Colombian National Police as well as
those Americans who work side by side with the Co-
lombian National Police in this common struggle
against illicit drugs;
(22) the new Government of Bolivia has made a
commitment to eradicate coca and cocaine production
in that country within 5 years;
(23) the United States should support any coun-
try that is interested in removing the scourge of drugs
from its citizens; and
(24) Bolivia has succeeded, in large measure due
to United States assistance, in reducing acreage used
to produce coca, which is the basis for cocaine produc-
tion.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals underlying this resolution as-
sume that—
(1) the President should, with funds made avail-
able under Public Law 105–118, expeditiously pro-
cure and provide to the Colombian National Police
three UH–60L Blackhawk utility helicopters solely for
the purpose of assisting the Colombian National Po-
lice to perform their responsibilities to reduce and
eliminate the production of illicit drugs in Colombia
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and the trafficking of such illicit drugs, including the
trafficking of drugs such as heroin and cocaine to the
United States;
(2) if the President determines that the procure-
ment and transfer to the Colombian National Police
of three UH–60L Blackhawk utility helicopters is not
an adequate number of such helicopters to maintain
operational feasibility and effectiveness of the Colom-
bian National Police, then the President should
promptly inform Congress as to the appropriate num-
ber of additional UH–60L Blackhawk utility heli-
copters for the Colombian National Police so that
amounts can be authorized for the procurement and
transfer of such additional helicopters; and
(3) assistance for Bolivia should be maintained
at least at the level assumed in the fiscal year 1998
budget submission of the President and the Adminis-
tration should act accordingly.
SEC. 357. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON FUNDING FOR MEDI-
CAL CARE FOR VETERANS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals
underlying this resolution assume that $40,274,000 in addi-
tional amounts above the President’s budget levels will be
made available for veterans health care for fiscal year 1999.
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SEC. 358. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON OBJECTION TO THE
USE OF THE SALE OF PUBLIC LANDS TO
FUND CERTAIN PROGRAMS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that the Budget
Committee Report accompanying this resolution assumes
that the landowner incentive program of the Endangered
Species Recovery Act would be funded ‘‘from the gross re-
ceipts realized in the sales of excess BLM land: Provided,
That BLM has sufficient administrative funds to conduct
such sales’’.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals underlying this resolution as-
sume that—
(1) the landowner incentive program included in
the Endangered Species Recovery Act should be fi-
nanced from a dedicated source of funding; and
(2) public lands should not be sold to fund the
landowner incentive program of the Endangered Spe-
cies Recovery Act through their proceeds alone, if sub-
sequent legislation provides an alternative or mixed,
dedicated source of mandatory funding.
SEC. 359. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING A MULTI-
NATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST DRUG TRAF-
FICKING.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
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HCON 284 EAS
(1) the traffic in illegal drugs greatly threatens
democracy, security and stability in the Western
Hemisphere due to the violence and corruption associ-
ated with drug trafficking organizations;
(2) drug trafficking organizations operate with-
out respect for borders or national sovereignty;
(3) the production, transport, sale, and use of il-
licit drugs endangers the people and legitimate insti-
tutions of all countries in the hemisphere;
(4) no single country can successfully confront
and defeat this common enemy;
(5) full bilateral cooperation with the United
States to reduce the flow of drugs is in the national
interests of our neighbors in the hemisphere;
(6) in addition, victory in the hemispheric battle
against drug traffickers requires expanded multilat-
eral cooperation among the nations of the region.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the provisions of this resolution assume that in ad-
dition to existing bilateral cooperative efforts, the Adminis-
tration should promote at the Summit of the Americas and
in other fora the concept of a multinational hemispheric
‘‘war alliance’’ bringing together the United States and key
illicit drug producing and transiting countries in the West-
ern Hemisphere for the purpose of implementing a coordi-
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nated plan of action against illegal drug trafficking and
promoting full cooperation against this common menace.
SEC. 360. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING LEGISLATION
THAT INCREASES COMPLEXITY OF TAX RE-
TURNS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
(1) As part of the consideration by the Senate of
tax cuts for the families of America, the Senate should
also examine the condition of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986.
(2) According to the Congressional Research
Service, the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1997 added
1,000,000 words and 315 pages to the Internal Reve-
nue Code.
(3) The Internal Revenue Code continues to grow
more complex and difficult for the average taxpayer
to understand, and the average tax return has become
more time-consuming to prepare.
(4) The average taxpayer will spend 9 hours and
54 minutes preparing Form 1040 for the 1997 tax
year.
(5) The average taxpayer spends between 21 and
28 hours each year on tax matters.
(6) In 1995, 58,965,000 of the 118,218,327 tax
returns that were filed, almost 50 percent, were filed
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HCON 284 EAS
by taxpayers who utilized the help of a paid tax pre-
parer.
(7) The average taxpayer spends $72 each year
for tax preparation.
(8) The total burden on all taxpayers of main-
taining records, and preparing and filing tax returns
is estimated to be in excess of 1,600,000 hours per
year.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the budgetary levels in this resolution assume that
the Senate should give priority to tax proposals that sim-
plify the tax code and reject proposals that add greater com-
plexity in the tax code and increased compliance costs for
the taxpayer.
SEC. 361. GENERAL PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF MARI-
JUANA FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES.
It is the sense of the Senate that the provisions of this
resolution assume that no funds appropriated by Congress
should be used to provide, procure, furnish, fund or support,
or to compel any individual, institution or government en-
tity to provide, procure, furnish, fund or support, any item,
good, benefit, program or service, for the purpose of the use
of marijuana for medicinal purposes, except that this sec-
tion shall not apply to medical research and investigational
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HCON 284 EAS
new drug programs under the jurisdiction of the Food and
Drug Administration.
SEC. 362. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING AMTRAK
FUNDING.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) on November 13, 1997 the Senate unani-
mously passed the Amtrak Reform and Accountability
Act of 1997, Public Law 105–134, authorizing appro-
priations of $1,058,000,000 for fiscal year 1999;
$1,023,000,000 for fiscal year 2000; $989,000,000 for
fiscal year 2001; and $955,000,000 for fiscal year
2002, totaling $4,025,000,000 for fiscal years 1999–
2002;
(2) in Public Law 105–134 the Congress declared
that ‘‘intercity rail passenger service is an essential
component of a national intermodal passenger trans-
portation system’’;
(3) section 201 of the Amtrak Reform and Ac-
countability Act of 1997 has now statutorily formal-
ized prior Congressional directives to Amtrak to reach
operating self-sufficiency by fiscal year 2002;
(4) the Congress and the President, through en-
actment of this legislation, have effectively agreed that
Congress will provide adequate funding to permit
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HCON 284 EAS
Amtrak to achieve the goal of operating self-suffi-
ciency;
(5) capital investment is critical to reducing op-
erating costs and increasing the quality of Amtrak
service;
(6) capital investment is essential to improving
Amtrak’s long-term financial health;
(7) the $2,200,000,000 provided to Amtrak
through the Taxpayer Relief Act is for the sole pur-
pose of capital expenditures and other qualified ex-
penses and is intended to supplement, not supplant,
annual appropriations.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the assumptions underlying the functional totals
in this budget resolution assume that Congress and the Ad-
ministration will fulfill the intent of the Amtrak Reform
and Accountability Act of 1997 and appropriate sufficient
funds in each of the next 5 fiscal years for Amtrak to imple-
ment its fiscal years 1998–2003 Strategic Business Plan,
while preserving the integrity of the $2,200,000,000 pro-
vided under the Taxpayer Relief Act for the statutory pur-
pose of capital investment.
SEC. 363. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING MARKET AC-
CESS PROGRAM.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:
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HCON 284 EAS
(1) The Market Access Program (MAP) continues
to be a vital and important part of United States
trade policy aimed at maintaining and expanding
United States agricultural exports, countering sub-
sidized foreign competition, strengthening farm in-
come and protecting American jobs. Further, the Sen-
ate finds that:
(A) The Market Access Program is specifi-
cally targeted towards small business, farmer co-
operatives and trade associations.
(B) The Market Access Program is adminis-
tered on a cost-share basis. Participants, includ-
ing farmers and ranchers, are required to con-
tribute up to 50 percent or more toward the cost
of the program.
(2) The Market Access Program has been a tre-
mendous success by any measure. Since the program
was established, United States agricultural exports
have doubled. In fiscal year 1997, United States agri-
cultural exports amounted to $57,300,000,000, result-
ing in a positive agricultural trade surplus of ap-
proximately $22,000,000,000, and contributing bil-
lions of dollars more in increased economic activity
and additional tax revenues.
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HCON 284 EAS
(3) The Market Access Program has also helped
maintain and create needed jobs throughout the Na-
tion’s economy. More than one million Americans
now have jobs that depend on United States agricul-
tural exports. Further, every billion dollars in addi-
tional United States agricultural exports helps create
as many as 17,000 or more new jobs.
(4) United States agriculture, including farm in-
come and related jobs, is more dependent than ever on
maintaining and expanding United States agricul-
tural exports as Federal farm programs are gradually
reduced under the FAIR Act of 1996.
(5) In addition to the Asian economic situation
and exchange rate fluctuations, United States agricul-
tural exports continue to be adversely impacted by
continued subsidized foreign competition, artificial
trade barriers and other unfair foreign trade prac-
tices.
(6) The European Union (EU) and other foreign
competitors continue to heavily outspend the United
States by more than 10 to 1 with regard to export
subsidies.
(A) 
In 
1997, 
the 
EU 
budgeted
$7,200,000,000 for export subsidies aimed at
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capturing a larger share of the world market at
the expense of United States agriculture.
(B) EU and other foreign competitors also
spend nearly $500,000,000 on market promotion
activities. The EU spends more on wine pro-
motion than the United States currently spends
on all commodities and related agricultural
products.
(C) The EU has announced a major new
initiative aimed at increasing their exports to
Japan—historically, the largest single market for
United States agriculture exports.
(7) United States agriculture is the most com-
petitive industry in the world, but it cannot and
should not be expected to compete alone against the
treasuries of foreign governments.
(8) Reducing or eliminating funding for the
Market Access Program would adversely affect United
States agriculture’s ability to remain competitive in
today’s global marketplace. A reduction in United
States agricultural exports would translate into lower
farm income, a worsening trade deficit, slower eco-
nomic growth, fewer export-related jobs, and a declin-
ing tax base.
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(9) United States success in upcoming trade ne-
gotiations on agriculture scheduled to begin in 1999
depends on maintaining an aggressive trade strategy
and related policies and programs. Reducing or
eliminating the Market Access Program would rep-
resent a form of unilateral disarmament and weaken
the United States negotiating position.
(10) The Market Access Program is one of the
few programs specifically allowed under the current
Uruguay Round Agreement.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that funding for the Market Access Program (MAP)
should be fully maintained as authorized and aggressively
utilized by the United States Department of Agriculture to
encourage United States agricultural exports, strengthen
farm income, counter subsidized foreign competition, and
protect American jobs.
SEC. 364. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE NA-
TIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) heart disease was the leading cause of death
for both men and women in every year from 1970 to
1993;
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(2) mortality rates for individuals suffering from
prostate cancer, skin cancer, and kidney cancer con-
tinue to rise;
(3) the mortality rate for African American
women suffering from diabetes is 134 percent higher
than the mortality rate of Caucasian women suffering
from diabetes;
(4) asthma rates for children increased 58 per-
cent from 1982 to 1992;
(5) nearly half of all American women between
the ages of 65 and 75 reported having arthritis;
(6) AIDS is the leading cause of death for Amer-
icans between the ages of 24 and 44;
(7) the Institute of Medicine has described
United States clinical research to be ‘‘in a state of
crisis’’ and the National Academy of Sciences con-
cluded in 1994 that ‘‘the present cohort of clinical in-
vestigators is not adequate’’;
(8) biomedical research has been shown to be ef-
fective in saving lives and reducing health care ex-
penditures;
(9) research sponsored by the National Institutes
of Health has contributed significantly to the first
overall reduction in cancer death rates since record-
keeping was instituted;
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(10) research sponsored by the National Insti-
tutes of health has resulted in the identification of ge-
netic mutations for osteoporosis; Lou Gehrig’s Dis-
ease, cystic fibrosis, and Huntington’s Disease; breast,
skin and prostate cancer; and a variety of other ill-
nesses;
(11) research sponsored by the National Insti-
tutes of Health has been key to the development of
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) scanning technologies;
(12) research sponsored by the National Insti-
tutes of Health has developed effective treatments for
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Today, 80
percent 
of 
children 
diagnosed 
with 
Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukemia are alive and free of the dis-
ease after 5 years; and
(13) research sponsored by the National Insti-
tutes of Health contributed to the development of a
new, cost-saving cure for peptic ulcers.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the function totals in this budget resolution assume
that—
(1) appropriations for the National Institutes of
Health should be increased by 100 percent over the
next 5 fiscal years;
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(2) appropriations for the National Institutes of
Health should be increased by $2,000,000,000 in year
1999 over the amount appropriated in fiscal year
1998;
(3) the budget resolution takes a major step to-
ward meeting this goal; and
(4) at a minimum, appropriations for the Na-
tional Institutes of Health should match the rec-
ommendations provided in the budget resolution.
SEC. 365. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING DISPLAY OF
TEN COMMANDMENTS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) the Ten Commandments have had a signifi-
cant impact on the development of the fundamental
legal principles of Western Civilization; and
(2) the Ten Commandments set forth a code of
moral conduct, observance of which is acknowledged
to promote respect for our system of laws and the
good of society.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that the functional totals in this concurrent resolution
on the budget assume that—
(1) the Ten Commandments are a declaration of
fundamental principles that are the cornerstones of a
fair and just society; and
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(2) the public display, including display in the
Supreme Court, the Capitol building, the White
House, and other government offices and courthouses
across the nation, of the Ten Commandments should
be permitted, as long as it is consistent with the es-
tablishment clause of the first amendment of the
United States Constitution.
Attest:
Secretary.
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