XXXX Opposed Assuring Solvency of Social Security and Medicare. In 2001, XXXX voted against an amendment to delay the effective date of the tax rate reductions in the highest rate bracket until the enactment of legislation that would provide for long-term solvency of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. [HR 1836, Vote 137, 5/22/01] XXXX Voted to Put Tax Cuts Ahead of Saving Social Security and Medicare. In 2001, XXXX voted against an amendment to strike all marginal tax rate cuts in the bill except for the establishment of the 10 percent bracket, as well as all estate tax provisions taking effect after 2006, and use the savings to extend the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, as well as establish a prescription drug benefit. [HR 1836, Vote 122, 5/21/01] XXXX Voted For Tax Cuts over Medicare Solvency. In 2001, XXXX voted for an amendment that would instruct the Finance Committee to report a reconciliation bill to the Senate that would reduce revenue levels by not more than the president's $1.6 trillion tax cut, and include a $60 billion economic stimulus package for fiscal 2001. The substitute amendment would cap discretionary spending at $660.7 billion in fiscal 2002 and includes an $845.7 billion contingency fund -- including the Medicare trust fund surplus -- that could be used for debt reduction, tax cuts or unforeseen spending. It also calls for $1.6 trillion in tax cuts over fiscal years 2002-2011 and $60 billion in tax cuts in fiscal 2001. [H Con Res 83, Vote 75, 4/5/01] XXXX Voted Against Rolling Back Tax Cuts And Increasing Medicare Spending For Home Health Care. In 2001, XXXX voted against an amendment that would deny $13.7 billion of the proposed tax cuts in the Domenici substitute amendment. It would then adjust the functional totals for the stated purpose of spending the money to pay the costs of eliminating a pending 15-percent reduction in Medicare payments to home health agencies. The amendment was rejected, 47-53. [H Con Res 83, Vote 73, 4/5/01] XXXX Voted For A GOP Bill To Reform Medicare, Medicaid, And S-CHIP. In 2000, XXXX voted to provide tax relief, to increase the minimum wage, to improve Federal health care benefits, to permit controlled substances to be used for pain management but not assisted suicide or euthanasia, and to reauthorize the Small Business Act (H.R. 2614). The bill would enact numerous reforms that would provide an additional $32 billion over 5 years to strengthen Medicare, Medicaid, and the S-CHIP program. The motion to proceed was agreed to, 55-40. [Vote 286, 10/26/00] XXXX Opposed An Amendment To Set Up A Medicare Lockbox. In 2000, XXXX opposed an amendment that would add a Social Security "lockbox" (budget mechanism) to protect Social Security surpluses from being spent on non-Social Security purposes. The amendment would also add a Medicare lockbox. That lockbox would not protect projected Medicare surpluses from being spent on non-Medicare purposes; instead, it would require the Government to retain one-third of the projected on-budget surpluses. The motion was rejected, 44-56. [Vote 65, 4/7/00] XXXX Voted That On-Budget Surpluses Were Sufficient to Modernize Medicare. In 1999, XXXX voted for a motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to permit consideration of the Frist amendment S.1429, which was an amendment to express the sense of the Senate that on-budget surpluses over the next 10 years are sufficient for Congress to modernize Medicare benefits, improve the program’s solvency, and provide prescription drug benefits. This was a symbolic vote to counter Democratic efforts to set funding aside for a prescription drug plan and to extend the solvency of Medicare. [Vote 235, 7/30/99] XXXX Voted to Cut Medicare Growth By $115 Billion. In 1997, XXXX voted for S.947, which was legislation to cut spending by $135.9 billion over five years, cut the growth of Medicare by approximately $115 billion, gradually increase the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 between 2003 and 2027, introduce means-based testing to determine premiums under Medicare Part B, cut Medicaid spending by $13.6 billion, increase spending on children’s health care by $16 billion, and prohibit the use of federal funds for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or when a woman’s life is threatened. [Vote 130, 6/25/97] 162