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Social Security News
Immigration Bill to Pay $966 Billion in Social
Security to Illegal Workers, Senior League Claims
TREA Senior Citizens League to testify today before
House subcommittee on immigration
June 19, 2007 - The immigration bill being debated
by the Senate would allow over two million illegal workers who received
Social Security numbers prior to 2004 to receive more than $966 billion
in Social Security benefits by 2040, according to the TREA Senior
Citizens League.
Shannon Benton, executive director of the
organization, will testify about the loophole before the House
Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and
International Law today at 4:00 P.M. Eastern at 2237 Rayburn House
Office Building.
The TREA Senior Citizens League, which claims 1.2
million supporters, says it is a nonpartisan seniors advocacy group,
based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced an
amendment to the bill (S.A. 1415), subsequently passed by voice vote,
that would prevent illegal workers who performed illegal work and then
obtained a Social Security number after January 1, 2004 from receiving
credit for Social Security taxes paid in previous years.
However, the league says, the amendment does
nothing to prevent aliens who obtained "non-work" Social Security
numbers prior to 2004 and then performed illegal work from claiming
benefits.
Between 1974 and 2003, the Social Security
Administration issued more than seven million "non-work" Social Security
numbers, which entitled some foreign nationals - some of whom were
illegal aliens - to services such as Medicaid and food stamps, according
to the organization.
The majority of non-work Social Security numbers
were issued during an era of less restrictive immigration policy; in
some cases, aliens didn't need proof of citizenship to receive a number.
Despite their "non-work" status, millions performed
unlawful work. Under the Senate legislation currently being considered,
this group would be eligible for Social Security benefits.
"Some members of the Senate are telling the
American people that illegal aliens wouldn't be able to collect Social
Security benefits under this immigration deal, and that is flat wrong,"
said Benton.
"The truth is that illegal aliens could receive
more than double in Social Security benefits what American taxpayers
have spent so far on the war in Iraq."
According to the Social Security Administration,
the Social Security Trust Fund will begin paying out more than it is
taking in by 2017, and will be completely exhausted by 2041.
TREA Senior Citizens League says it is one of the
nation's largest nonpartisan" seniors groups.
Visit
http://www.seniorsleague.org/ for more information.
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