Session of 1999
         
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5044
         
By Representatives Garner, Alldritt, Ballard, Barnes, Burroughs, Crow,
                Dean, Feuerborn, Findley, Flaharty, Flora, Gatewood, Gilbert, Grant,
                Haley, Henderson, Henry, Johnston, Kirk, Klein, Kuether, Larkin, M.
                Long, McClure, McKechnie, McKinney, Minor, Nichols, O'Brien,
                Pauls, E. Peterson, Phelps, Reardon, Rehorn, Reinhardt, Ruff, Sharp,
                Showalter, Shriver, Spangler, Storm, Tedder, Thimesch, Toelkes, Wei-
                land, Wells, and Welshimer
               
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15             A  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION memorializing Congress to
16             strengthen Social Security.
17      
18      
19             WHEREAS,  Social Security provides American workers with univer-
20       sal, contributory, wage related, inflation-proof benefits in the event of the
21       retirement, disability or death of a primary wage earner; and
22             WHEREAS,  Social Security is more than a retirement program--it is
23       a family program. Without Social Security, about 54% of America's sen-
24       iors and more than 15 million beneficiaries overall would be living in
25       poverty. About 98% of children under age 18 can count on monthly cash
26       benefits if a working parent dies; and
27             WHEREAS,  Over the course of its existence as a federal program,
28       Social Security's trustees and administrators have carefully modified the
29       benefit and financing structure thereby ensuring the program's viability
30       in light of major demographic trends and economic developments; and
31             WHEREAS,  In his 1999 State of the Union address the President
32       urged Congress to save Social Security first and dedicate the majority of
33       the projected surplus to shoring up the solvency of Social Security; and
34             WHEREAS,  The long term solvency of Social Security can be ensured
35       for future generations if reasonable and timely adjustments to the pro-
36       gram are made by Congress: Now, therefore,
37             Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
38       the Senate concurring therein: That we respectfully memorialize the
39       federal government to use the budget surplus to strengthen Social Se-
40       curity to ensure the continued financial viability of this essential program;
41       and
42             Be it further resolved: That we further memorialize the federal gov-
43       ernment to take immediate steps to ensure that Social Security remains
44       a universal, mandatory, contributory social insurance system where risk

HCR 5044

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  1       is pooled among all workers, rather than transferred to each individual
  2       worker; and
  3             Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send
  4       an enrolled copy of this resolution to each member of the Kansas Con-
  5       gressional delegation.
  6