Bill Summary
The resolution urges the protection of Medicare from significant cuts that would result from H.R. 1, a piece of legislation estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to increase the federal deficit by $4.1 trillion between 2025 and 2034. Under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act (S-PAYGO), such an increase would trigger automatic, across-the-board spending cuts, known as sequestration, which would affect social safety net programs, including Medicare.
The resolution highlights that these cuts could amount to $45 billion in 2026 alone and a total of $536 billion by 2034, compounding cuts from H.R. 1 that would strip coverage from approximately 15 million people. It emphasizes the critical role of Medicare for over 67 million Americans, particularly seniors and individuals with disabilities, and warns that these cuts would jeopardize the financial stability of healthcare providers who depend on Medicare payments.
The resolution calls on the Senate to safeguard Medicare benefits for seniors and to protect the social services that would be threatened by the proposed cuts in H.R. 1, asserting that individuals have paid into Medicare with the expectation that their benefits will be preserved.
Possible Impacts
The resolution urging the protection of Medicare from cuts outlined in H.R. 1 could significantly affect people in the following ways:
1. **Loss of Healthcare Access for Seniors**: With an estimated $536 billion in cuts to Medicare through 2034, many seniors may find themselves at risk of losing essential healthcare services. This could result in reduced access to necessary medical treatments, medications, and preventive care, thus negatively impacting their overall health and quality of life.
2. **Financial Strain on Healthcare Providers**: The cuts could jeopardize the financial stability of community health centers, hospitals, and healthcare providers who rely on Medicare reimbursements. This could lead to reduced services, layoffs, or even closures of facilities, particularly in underserved areas, further limiting access to care for vulnerable populations, including seniors and individuals with disabilities.
3. **Increased Economic Burden on Families**: As Medicare cuts may result in higher out-of-pocket costs for healthcare services, families may face increased financial burdens. Seniors who are unable to afford necessary care may be forced to rely on family members for support, straining family finances and increasing stress for caregivers who may already be balancing work and personal responsibilities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 404 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 404
Urging the protection of Medicare from the devastating cuts caused by
H.R. 1.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025
Mr. Whitehouse submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Urging the protection of Medicare from the devastating cuts caused by
H.R. 1.
Whereas the Congressional Budget Office (referred to in this preamble as
``CBO'') has estimated that the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for
reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14'', approved July
4, 2025 (Public Law 119-21; 139 Stat. 72) (commonly known as the ``One
Big Beautiful Bill Act'' and referred to in this preamble as ``H.R. 1'')
will add $4,100,000,000,000 to the deficit between 2025 and 2034;
Whereas such an increase to the deficit will automatically trigger across-the-
board spending cuts, called ``sequestration'', under the Statutory Pay-
As-You-Go Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 931 et seq.) (referred to in this
preamble as ``S-PAYGO'');
Whereas sequestration will impose indiscriminate, across-the-board spending cuts
to social safety net programs that millions of families in the United
States rely on;
Whereas the Medicare program established under title XVIII of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), a critical lifeline for the
people of the United States, is not exempt from sequestration under S-
PAYGO;
Whereas CBO has estimated that $45,000,000,000 will be cut from Medicare by
sequestration in 2026 alone;
Whereas CBO has estimated that a total of $536,000,000,000 will be cut from
Medicare by sequestration through 2034;
Whereas these Medicare sequestration cuts compound nearly $1,000,000,000,000 in
health care reductions under H.R. 1, stripping coverage from 15,000,000
people of the Untied States and further undermining the financial
stability of health care providers;
Whereas more than 67,000,000 people of the United States relied on Medicare for
their health care coverage in 2024;
Whereas cuts of this magnitude will jeopardize the financial stability of
community health centers, hospitals, providers, and many others who rely
on Medicare payments to serve seniors, people with disabilities, and
those with end-stage renal disease;
Whereas Republicans' partisan bill expanded the national debt by
$4,100,000,000,000, and the Republicans chose not to protect the people
of the United States from these cuts; and
Whereas the people of the United States have paid into Medicare throughout their
working lives with the expectation that their earned benefits will be
protected: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate should protect the Medicare program
established under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) from devastating cuts caused by the Act
entitled ``An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to
title II of H. Con. Res. 14'', approved July 4, 2025 (Public
Law 119-21; 139 Stat. 72) (commonly known as the ``One Big
Beautiful Bill Act'' and referred to in this resolution as
``H.R. 1'');
(2) the Senate should safeguard seniors' Medicare benefits
and essential social services that are jeopardized by the cuts
triggered by H.R. 1; and
(3) seniors who have paid into Medicare throughout their
working lives should be protected from reckless, across-the-
board cuts to their health care.
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