DEMOCRATS' NEW SOLUTIONS FOR A NEW CENTURY

Democrats want to address real problems affecting Americans by saving Social Security for all; by reducing class size for our children by hiring 100,000 new teachers; by making sure that doctors and patients together, not insurance companies, make health care decisions; by extending Medicare coverage; and by raising the minimum wage.

These are the issues that define us as Democrats and most clearly outline our goals for strengthening American families. Together with the agenda we are presenting today, these issues serve as our legislative roadmap to maintaining the strong economy we currently enjoy and addressing the concerns families wrestle with everyday: preparing for retirement, educating children and raising them in safe neighborhoods, and having access to quality health care.

To further these goals we are committed to a 1998 Democratic legislative agenda that includes:

• Balancing the Budget and Saving Social Security First. By passing a balanced budget three years ahead of schedule, we will be able to eliminate the deficit and pay for every proposal in the agenda while reserving the surplus until we strengthen Social Security.

• Reducing Average Class Size and Modernizing Schools. We will reduce average class size to 18 students per classroom for the first through third grades by helping local communities hire 100,000 new teachers with certified skills to teach basic reading and math.

• Establishing a Patients' Bill of Rights. We will assure patients high quality health care by guaranteeing important protections such as access to the specialists they need, coverage for emergency services, an internal and external appeals process, confidentiality, and patient participation in medical decisions.

• Extending Medicare. Enabling Americans ages 62 to 65 and displaced workers ages 55 to 65 to purchase Medicare health coverage and enabling retired workers ages 55 to 65 to buy coverage if their former employer drops their coverage.

• Raising the Minimum Wage. We recognize the value of work and will give millions of hardworking Americans a pay raise by increasing the minimum wage.

Maintaining the Strong Economy

Balancing the Budget and Saving Social Security First: By passing a balanced budget three years ahead of schedule, we will be able to eliminate the deficit and pay for every proposal in the agenda while reserving the surplus until we strengthen Social Security.

Raising the Minimum Wage: Recognizing the value of work and giving millions of hardworking Americans a pay raise by increasing the minimum wage.

Fair Pay: Helping guarantee equal pay for equal work by strengthening enforcement against wage discrimination, establishing voluntary fair pay standards, and improving access to wage information for workers.

Research and Technology: Expanding resources for development of medical cures, energy efficiencies, agricultural innovations and commercialization of new technology.

Securing Retirement For All Americans

Social Security First: Saving Social Security by paying for every proposal in the agenda while reserving the surplus until we strengthen Social Security.

Small Business Pensions: Making pensions more affordable for small businesses by providing a $2,000 tax credit for pension start-up, and allowing contributions to IRAs to be made by payroll deduction, and making a simplified defined benefit plan available to small business employees.

Pension Protections: Making pensions more secure by providing meaningful audits, by expanding pension right-to-know standards, and by shortening vesting periods.

Access to Quality Affordable Health Care

The Patients' Bill of Rights: Promoting insurance reform by guaranteeing access to needed health care providers, as well as access to emergency services; ensuring confidentiality of medical records and simplifying the grievance and appeals processes.

Extending Medicare: Enabling Americans ages 62 to 65 and displaced workers ages 55 to 65 to purchase Medicare health coverage and enabling retired workers ages 55 to 65 to buy COBRA coverage if their former employer drops their coverage.

Crackdown On Medicare Waste and Abuse: Ensuring that reimbursement policies do not overpay providers to reduce unnecessary Medicare costs.

Educating America's Children...

Reducing Class Size and Modernizing Schools: Reducing average class size to 18 students per classroom for grades 1-3 by helping local communities to hire 100,000 new teachers with certified skills to teach basic reading and math, and providing tax credits to local communities to build and renovate over 5,000 schools.

Child Care: Making child care more affordable for working families, increasing access to and promoting early learning and healthy child development, improving the safety and quality of child care, and expanding access to safe after-school care.

Computers in Classrooms: Ensuring Internet access for schools and libraries by protecting their "E-Rate" discounts, and providing new resources to help states integrate technology into their curricula and train teachers to use computers.

Educational Opportunity Zones: Improving public education by ending social promotions, increasing expectations and accountability, and providing training for teachers and extra help for students who need it.

Ending Teen Smoking: Discouraging teen addiction to cigarettes by adding a health fee to each pack, by requiring an end to tobacco company marketing directed at children, and by requiring tobacco companies to pay for new smoking prevention efforts.

...And Raising Them in Safe Neighborhoods

Juvenile Crime: Protecting kids from guns and drugs through special juvenile prosecutors and courts, extending the Brady Bill to juvenile offenses, and strengthening federal prosecution of gang crimes.

After-School Crime Prevention: Reducing juvenile delinquency while relieving child care burdens by matching the investments of local communities for before- and after-school learning.

Tougher Drunk Driving Penalties: Set a national maximum standard of .08 blood alcohol level for drivers by tying federal highway funds to state compliance.

Environmental Protection: Restoring clean water to our communities, accelerating and making polluters pay for toxic waste cleanup, protecting our national parks and other great places, and modernizing our food safety laws.