Federal

Protect Our Seniors Act

Source: Congress.gov · 860 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill takes money that was approved for Internal Revenue Service resources and redirects it to Social Security and Medicare. It also creates new rules to prevent the Senate from passing bills that would reduce benefits to seniors under Medicare or Social Security without getting support from two-thirds of senators. ##

Who It Affects

Seniors receiving Social Security benefits, seniors with Medicare health coverage, the Senate (legislative body that passes federal laws), and the Congressional Budget Office (government agency that analyzes the costs of bills). ##

Key Provisions

- Money that has not yet been spent from certain Internal Revenue Service funding is canceled, effective immediately when this bill becomes law (Sec. 2(a)) - Half of the canceled Internal Revenue Service money goes to the Social Security trust fund, which pays retirement and survivor benefits (Sec. 2(b)(1)) - The other half of the canceled money goes to the Medicare trust fund, which pays health insurance for seniors (Sec. 2(b)(2)) - The Senate cannot vote on bills that would reduce Medicare or Social Security benefits unless two-thirds of senators vote to allow it (Sec. 3) - The Senate cannot vote on bills that use savings from Medicare to pay for other government programs unless two-thirds of senators vote to allow it (Sec. 4) ##

What Changes

If passed, this bill stops funding for two specific Internal Revenue Service programs and moves that money to Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, it makes it much harder for Congress to pass laws that would cut senior benefits, since such bills would need support from 67 senators instead of a simple majority. ##

Important Definitions

None defined in the bill text. ##

Effective Date

The date the President signs this bill into law (Sec. 2(a)).

II Calendar No. 16 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 424 To protect the seniors of the United States, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Mr. SCOTT of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read the first time FEBRUARY 15, 2023 Read the second time and placed on the calendar A BILL To protect the seniors of the United States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Our Seniors 4 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S424.PCS S424 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 424 PCS SEC. 2. RESCISSION OF CERTAIN FUNDS FOR ENHANCED 1 INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE RESOURCES. 2 (a) RESCISSION.—Effective on the date of enactment 3 of this Act, the unobligated balances of the amounts made 4 available under the following provisions of Public Law 5 117–169 are rescinded: 6 (1) INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE ENFORCE- 7 MENT FUNDS.—Section 10301(1)(A)(ii). 8 (2) INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OPERATIONS 9 SUPPORT.—Section 10301(1)(A)(iii). 10 (b) TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO SOCIAL SECURITY AND 11 MEDICARE TRUST FUNDS.— 12 (1) FEDERAL OLD AGE AND SURVIVORS INSUR- 13 ANCE TRUST FUND.— There is hereby appropriated 14 to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance 15 Trust Fund established under section 201(a) of the 16 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401(a)) an amount 17 equal to 50 percent of the amount rescinded under 18 subsection (a). 19 (2) FEDERAL HOSPITAL INSURANCE TRUST 20 FUND.—There is hereby appropriated to the Federal 21 Hospital Insurance Trust Fund established section 22 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) 23 under an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount 24 rescinded under subsection (a). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S424.PCS S424 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 424 PCS SEC. 3. POINT OF ORDER FOR REDUCTIONS IN MEDICARE 1 AND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS. 2 Section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 3 (2 U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the fol- 4 lowing: 5 ‘‘(j) MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY POINT OF 6 ORDER.— 7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be in order in 8 the Senate to consider any bill or resolution (or 9 amendment, motion, or conference report on that bill 10 or resolution) that would reduce benefits under the 11 Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 12 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or benefits 13 payable under title II of that Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et 14 seq.). 15 ‘‘(2) WAIVER.—Paragraph (1) may be waived 16 or suspended in the Senate only by the affirmative 17 vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and 18 sworn.’’. 19 SEC. 4. MEDICARE POINT OF ORDER. 20 Section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 21 (2 U.S.C. 632), as amended by section 3, is further 22 amended by adding at the end the following: 23 ‘‘(k) MEDICARE POINT OF ORDER.— 24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be in order in 25 the Senate to consider any bill or resolution (or 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S424.PCS S424 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 424 PCS amendment, motion, or conference report on that bill 1 or resolution) for which the total budgetary effects 2 of the measure, as determined by the Congressional 3 Budget Office, use a decrease in outlays, or an in- 4 crease in revenue, under the health insurance pro- 5 grams under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 6 (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) to offset a cost of a provi- 7 sion of the measure that is not for the purpose of 8 carrying out those programs. 9 ‘‘(2) WAIVER.—Paragraph (1) may be waived 10 or suspended in the Senate only by the affirmative 11 vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and 12 sworn. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Mem- 13 bers of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be 14 required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the 15 Chair on a point of order raised under paragraph 16 (1).’’. 17 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S424.PCS S424 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S424.PCS S424 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS Calendar No. 16 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 424 A BILL To protect the seniors of the United States, and for other purposes. FEBRUARY 15, 2023 Read the second time and placed on the calendar VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\S424.PCS S424 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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