To ensure the enactment of a medicare prescription drug benefit.

SA 614. Ms. Stabenow proposed an amendment to the bill S. 1054, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2004; as follows:

At the end of end of subtitle C of title V, add the following:

SEC. ____. ENSURING ENACTMENT OF A MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT.

(a) Trigger.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the provisions as described in subsection (b) shall not take effect except as provided in subsection (c).

(b) Provision Described.--A provision described in this subsection is--

(1) section 102 of this Act to the extent such section accelerates the scheduled phase down of the top tax rate of 38.6 percent to 37.6 percent in 2004 and to 35 percent in 2006; and

(2) section 116(a)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by section 201 of this Act.

(c) Delay Until Enactment of a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.--The provisions described in subsection (b) shall apply to taxable years beginning in or after the calendar year in which a prescription drug benefit under the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) is enacted that is--

(1) available to all beneficiaries under such program; and

(2) actuarially equivalent to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield benefit offered through the Federal employees health benefits program.