increased revenues toward a new Social Security reserve account, with the remainder going toward deficit reduction [Vote 93, 3/25/03] XXXX Voted Against Eliminating $1.2 Billion From Bush Tax Cuts, and Putting the Savings Into Social Security. In 2003, XXXX voted to table an amendment that would have reduced the 10-year Bush tax cut by $1.2 trillion and put the money towards Social Security and deficit reduction. The president’s $726 billion economic package was included in that amount. [Vote 58, 3/18/03; Associated Press, 3/18/03] XXXX Voted Against Using the Social Security Trust Fund to Make Tax Cuts Permanent. In 2002, XXXX voted for an amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that no Social Security surplus funds should be used to pay for making currently scheduled tax cuts permanent. The substitute amendment would reauthorize federal agriculture programs for five years, including a dairy provision that would authorize $2 billion in direct federal subsidies to milk producers. It also would re-establish programs that supply payments to farmers when commodity prices fall below a specified level. [S 1731, Vote 27, 2/13/02] XXXX Opposed A Move That Would Reduce Upper-Bracket Tax Cuts And Create A Strategic Reserve For Social Security. In 2001, XXXX voted against committing the Tax Relief Act of 2001 to the Finance Committee with instructions to report the bill back within 3 days with changes to reduce the amount of tax relief for the top tax brackets and the amount of estate tax relief by a total of $350 billion, and to create a strategic reserve fund that would permit up to $350 billion in spending on legislation that extended the solvency of Social Security. [HR 1836, Vote 145, 5/22/01] 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 A GOP Amendment That Would Create Social Security And Medicare Lockboxes. In 2001, XXXX voted an amendment to enact budgetary rules (a "lockbox") to prevent Social Security funds and Medicare Part A funds from being used for non-Social Security or non-Medicare purposes. It would permit Social Security funds to be used to reform Social Security, and it would permit Medicare funds to be used to reform Medicare, including Part B of Medicare. [S 420, Vote 23, 3/13/01] XXXX Voted Against a Democratic Social Security “Lockbox.” In 2001, XXXX voted against an amendment to protect the Social Security and Medicare surpluses in a “lockbox” to prevent Congress from using these funds for unrelated purposes. Supporters of the amendment argued that steps should be taken to ensure Medicare’s solvency so America’s seniors will not be denied vital health assistance. [S 420, Vote 22, 3/13/01] XXXX Voted Against Increasing The Social Security Survivors’ Benefit. In 2000, XXXX voted against an amendment that would allow up to 5 years to be excluded from the 35-year average earnings calculation used in determining the level of Social Security benefits to which an individual was entitled if that individual earned little or no money in those years due to that individual's staying home to take care of a dependent or dependents. The amendment was rejected, 42-54. [Vote 192, 7/14/00] XXXX Voted For A GOP Amendment to Cut Taxes On Social Security Benefits. In 2000, XXXX voted for an amendment that would repeal the 1993 tax increase on Social Security recipients' benefits, which raised the percentage of benefits subject to taxation earned by single senior citizens with $34,000 or more in income to 85 percent (it was at 50 percent), and raised the percentage of benefits subject to taxation earned by married senior 250