REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE AND ITS CHAIRMAN, SENATOR PETE DOMENICI, TO USE THE FEDERAL BUDGET SURPLUS TO PRESERVE THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM AND MEDICARE.

WHEREAS, the United States will have an estimated eighty billion dollar ($80,000,000,000) surplus in fiscal year 2000; and

WHEREAS, President Clinton and some leaders in congress propose to use the surplus to preserve and enhance the social security system and the medicare program; and

WHEREAS, the United States senate budget committee, chaired by United States senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico, is considering irresponsible proposals to return the surplus to taxpayers through an across-the-board tax cut, because New Mexico is at the top of many lists of poverty measures, such as being forty-ninth in median family income and forty-seventh in per capita income; and

WHEREAS, more than seventeen percent of New Mexico's citizens are beneficiaries of social security; and

WHEREAS, almost thirteen percent of New Mexicans are enrolled in medicare;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the United States senate budget committee be requested to reject proposals to return the budget surplus through tax cuts and that instead it support the use of the budget surplus to preserve and enhance the social security system and the medicare program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to United States senator Pete Domenici and other members of the United States senate budget committee.