IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 135
Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to preserving and expanding
Medicare.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 16, 1999
Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Ms. LEE, Mr. NADLER, Mr.
COYNE, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. HIN-
CHEY, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. THOMPSON of
Mississippi, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr.
BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. FILNER,
Mr. BORSKI, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr.
CAPUANO, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. DELAURO,
Mr. OLVER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. DEFAZIO,
Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. MOAKLEY, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs.
NAPOLITANO, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. MALONEY
of New York, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. ROMERO-
BARCELO´, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. WEINER, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr.
CLAY, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. JACK-
SON
of Illinois, Mr. VENTO, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. FROST, Mr. KUCINICH,
Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. BONIOR, and Mr. BECERRA) submitted the fol-
lowing concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to preserving
and expanding Medicare.
•HCON 135 IH
Whereas Medicare has provided guaranteed and universal
health coverage to millions of seniors and individuals with
disabilities since its passage in 1965, including 38 million
current beneficiaries;
Whereas 58 percent of seniors have incomes below $15,000
per year and 60 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have
incomes below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level;
Whereas senior citizens in this country are already paying an
average of $2,150 per year in out-of-pocket health care
expenses, despite Medicare coverage;
Whereas the United States is one of the few countries in the
industrialized world not to provide prescription drug cov-
erage to senior citizens;
Whereas proposals by some members of the Bipartisan Com-
mission on the Future of Medicare, such as establishing
a premium support or voucher system for Medicare, rais-
ing the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67, and
imposing a 10 percent home health copayment fee will
cause increased pain and suffering for millions of seniors
and individuals with disabilities;
Whereas premium support or voucher plans for Medicare will
particularly hurt Americans living in rural areas, low-in-
come individuals, women, and minorities; and
Whereas Medicare coverage should be expanded and im-
proved, and not cut back: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) any premium support, privatization, or
voucher plan for Medicare should be rejected;
•HCON 135 IH
(2) the eligibility age for Medicare should not
be increased;
(3) no copayment should be imposed on home
health care;
(4) changes should be made to the Medicare
program to improve and extend it, such as commit-
ting 15 percent of the budget surplus to ensure
Medicare’s solvency, adding a prescription drug ben-
efit to the Medicare program, and making it easier
for eligible Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in the
low-income Medicare assistance plans; and
(5) the current guarantee of Medicare benefits
should not be eliminated.
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