IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 72 
Expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative language approved 
by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not reduce 
benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2011 
Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. JOHN-
SON of Georgia, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, 
Mr. TOWNS, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. RICHARDSON, and Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative lan-
guage approved by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit 
Reduction should not reduce benefits for Social Security, 
Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. 
Whereas S. 365, the ‘‘Budget Control Act of 2011’’, creates 
a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction tasked 
with providing recommendations and legislative language 
that will significantly improve the short-term and long- 
term fiscal imbalance of the Federal Government; 
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•HCON 72 IH 
Whereas large majorities of Americans want to address the 
deficit in a way that preserves Medicare, Medicaid, and 
Social Security benefits; 
Whereas the Medicare program reflects the Nation’s commit-
ment to the health and independence of older Americans 
and Americans with disabilities by providing health care 
coverage to 42 million people; 
Whereas Medicare safeguards beneficiaries and their families 
from the ruinous costs of medical treatments and pre-
vents individuals from spending unmanageable propor-
tions of their incomes on medical care or being pushed 
into poverty by their medical bills; 
Whereas Medicaid provides a safety net for both low-income 
and middle-class families who may have family members 
stricken with catastrophic illness or injury or face pro-
longed infirmity in old age; 
Whereas cuts to Medicaid would severely impact low-income 
families and individuals with disabilities, and curtail ac-
cess to critical services, including nursing home and com-
munity care services; 
Whereas cuts to Medicaid would limit the program’s ability 
to provide women without health care coverage with pre-
natal, maternity, and postnatal care and hamper the 
United States efforts to prevent infant and prenatal 
deaths; 
Whereas Social Security provides essential financial support 
to almost 55 million people in the United States, includ-
ing more than 35 million retired workers; 
Whereas Social Security provides modest benefits averaging 
$14,000 per year for retired workers, based on contribu-
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•HCON 72 IH 
tions paid into Social Security over a worker’s lifetime of 
employment; 
Whereas Social Security can pay full benefits through 2035; 
Whereas Social Security has no borrowing authority, cur-
rently has $2.7 trillion in accumulated assets, and, there-
fore, does not contribute to the Federal budget deficit; 
and 
Whereas the citizens of the United States deserve thoughtful 
and fair Social Security reform to protect current and fu-
ture benefits and to ensure ongoing retirement security 
for seniors, protections for persons who become disabled, 
and benefits for the young children and spouses of de-
ceased and disabled workers: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by 
the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction 
should not balance the budget by eroding America’s 
hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net; 
(2) Medicare’s ability to deliver high quality 
health care in a cost-efficient manner should be 
strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for 
current and future retirees; 
(3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Se-
curity’s long-term outlook should ensure that Social 
Security remains a critical source of protection for 
the people of the United States and their families 
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without further increasing the retirement age or oth-
erwise decreasing benefits; and 
(4) Federal funding for the Medicaid program 
should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor 
and disabled children, and others with disabilities 
are able to gain and retain access to affordable 
health care. 
Æ 
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