Bill Details
View committees (1)
View cosponsors (8)
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would make it much harder for Congress to cut Social Security, Medicare, or other benefits run by the Social Security Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Under the bill, any proposal that would reduce those benefits could not be considered in either the House or the Senate unless two-thirds of the members present and voting agree to take it up. The bill is meant to protect these programs from benefit cuts by raising the voting threshold before such changes can move forward.
- A two-thirds vote would be needed just to consider any bill, resolution, or amendment that would reduce existing benefits from Social Security, Medicare, or similar programs run by SSA or CMS.
- There is a limited exception for changes that cut payments to Medicare Advantage plans, but only if the same change increases other Medicare spending by an equal or greater amount.
- Whether a proposal would reduce benefits would be decided only by the Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administration.
Official Summaries
Protect Social Security and Medicare Act
This bill requires a two-thirds vote before Congress may consider legislation that would reduce retirement, health, or other benefits administered by the Social Security Administration or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Specifically, such legislation may not be considered in either chamber of Congress until two-thirds of Members present and voting agree to a motion to consider the legislation. However, this restriction does not apply to legislation that reduces payments to Medicare Advantage plans so long as it also increases, in an amount equal to or greater than the reduction, payments made for other purposes under Medicare.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1950 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1950
To protect benefits provided under Social Security, Medicare, and any
other program of benefits administered by the Social Security
Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2025
Mr. Pocan (for himself, Mr. Doggett, and Mr. Frost) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To protect benefits provided under Social Security, Medicare, and any
other program of benefits administered by the Social Security
Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protect Social Security and Medicare
Act''.
SEC. 2. SUPERMAJORITY VOTE REQUIRED TO CUT BENEFITS ADMINISTERED BY
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION OR CENTERS FOR MEDICARE
AND MEDICAID SERVICES.
(a) Supermajority Vote Requirement.--A bill or joint resolution, or
any amendment offered to a bill or joint resolution, which contains any
provision which, if enacted, would result in the reduction of any
existing benefit provided or administered by the Social Security
Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may
not be considered in the House of Representatives or the Senate unless
two-thirds of the Members present and voting agree to a motion to
consider the bill, joint resolution, or amendment with the provision
included.
(b) Exception for Payments to Medicare Advantage Plans.--Subsection
(a) does not apply to any provision which, if enacted, would result in
the reduction of any payment made to a Medicare Advantage plan under
part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-21 et
seq.), but only if the provision would, if enacted, result in an
increase in the amount of payments made for other purposes under title
XVIII of the Social Security Act in an amount equal to or greater than
the amount of the reduction in payment made to the Medicare Advantage
plan.
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF REDUCTION OF BENEFITS.
During the consideration of a bill, joint resolution, or amendment
in the House of Representatives or Senate, any determination regarding
whether a provision in the bill, joint resolution, or amendment would,
if enacted, result in a reduction described in section 2(a) or a
reduction or increase described in section 2(b) shall be made solely on
the basis of a determination made by the Office of the Chief Actuary of
the Social Security Administration.
<all>