WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Budget Committee, succeeded in adding a number of amendments to the budget plan authored by Budget Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. The framework for federal spending for the coming fiscal year passed the Senate early Friday morning by a vote of 52-46.

“Senate Republicans have put the President’s big-government agenda on notice by providing a forward-thinking plan that balances the budget in 10 years without raising taxes,” Wicker said. “In addition to reining in out-of-control federal spending, this budget offers Americans real health-care reform, job creation, and a more prosperous future.”

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Sen. Enzi’s budget would increase America’s economic growth by more than $500 billion over the next decade.  In Mississippi, that could mean more than 10,000 new jobs.

Four amendments authored by Wicker were included in the “Budget Resolution,” S.Con.Res. 11.

During the committee’s markup of the non-binding legislation, Wicker successfully added an amendment to the proposal that would require CBO to perform long-term estimates of the budgetary effects of major spending legislation.

“The true costs of legislation are frequently not understood in the 10-year window calculated by CBO,” Wicker said. “Focusing exclusively on the short- and medium-term estimates of budgetary effects can encourage legislation that increases our long-term debt. Although CBO has occasionally provided supplementary information on the impacts of major legislation into the second decade, this information is not provided as a matter of course. This amendment would help us take an honest look at our country’s long-term financial situation.”

The second of Wicker’s provisions inserted in the budget would reinforce the “Magnitsky Act” by ensuring that the State Department identifies additional foreign nationals subject to the law. The “Magnistky Act,” which became law in 2012, placed congressional sanctions on Russian officials who were responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, an outspoken critic of the Putin regime. Wicker’s provision was bolstered by another amendment authored by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., to impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights or significant acts of corruption.

“In 2012, Congress passed the ‘Magnitsky Act’ to sanction members of Vladimir Putin’s power structure without hurting the Russian people,” Wicker added. “The recent murder of Russian political leader Boris Nemtsov is a reminder that our work is far from over. This amendment would help further the cause of defending human rights around the world and holding those responsible accountable for these crimes.”

Wicker also successfully added a measure to support research to identify the cause of Alzheimer’s, develop therapies to delay the onset or halt the progression of the disease, and ultimately find a cure.

“An American is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 67 seconds,” Wicker said. “A report released this week estimates that caring for people with Alzheimer’s will cost the United Sates $226 billion this year, including a $153 billion cost to Medicare and Medicaid. Unless we find a cure or a new drug therapy to halt the progression of this disease, treatment costs will continue to rise. My amendment would support or encourage research that could lead to the development of a new Alzheimer’s therapy, curbing the federal government’s long-term costs of Alzheimer’s treatments.”

The final Wicker amendment to be included would expedite the award process under the IRS Whistleblower Award program for those who come forward with information on tax evasion.

“I believe the Whistleblower Award Program at the IRS is being underutilized,” Wicker continued. “The program was put in place to incentivize those with information on tax evasion to come forward, and to deter tax noncompliance, thereby maximizing revenue. However, the slow pace of decision-making regarding claims and the lack of information available to tipsters regarding their cases have created disillusionment. Congress established the program with the obvious expectation that it would be used as a tool to make the existing tax code work better. This amendment would help to achieve that goal.”