To protect the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

SA 20. Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr.
Cardin, and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by her to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 3, setting
forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal year 2017 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for
fiscal years 2018 through 2026; as follows:

At the end of title IV, add the following:

SEC. 4__. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT WOULD
PRIVATIZE MEDICARE OR LIMIT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR
MEDICAID.

(a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate
to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment,
amendment between the Houses, or conference report that
would--
(1) privatize the Medicare program under title XVIII of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or turn the
program into a voucher system;
(2) increase the eligibility age under the Medicare
program; or
(3) block grant the Medicaid program under title XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), impose per
capita spending caps on State Medicaid programs, or decrease
coverage under such program from current levels.
(b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or
suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of three-
fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative
vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly
chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of
the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under
subsection (a).
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