Thread: Gallegly bill would protect Social Security

March 1, 2007

Gallegly bill would protect Social Security

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (RThousand Oaks) has introduced a bill intended to protect the Social Security fund.

The United States has 20 agreements with other countries to coordinate the payment of Social Security taxes and benefits for workers who divide their careers between two countries.

These "totalization" agreements foster international trade, protect workers' benefits, prevent multinational companies from paying dual Social Security taxes on the same wages and enhance diplomatic relations.

Gallegly's bill, the Total Overhaul of Totalization Agreements Law, would require that new agreements prohibit Social Security payments to foreign nationals unless they legally work for 40 quarters in the U.S.

Social Security taxes paid by foreign nationals and their employers would be transferred to their home countries. Similarly, the taxes paid by American citizens in foreign countries would be transferred into the U.S. Social Security system.

Foreign workers would still receive retirement credit for the taxes they pay.

Gallegly's bill is in addition to the six bills on illegal immigration he introduced on the first day of the 100th Congress, the Fairness in Higher Education Act he introduced on Jan. 11 and the Identification Integrity Act he introduced on Jan. 12.

The Fairness in Higher Education Act would withhold federal funding to those state schools and private colleges that provide instate tuition or other financial aid to illegal immigrants. The Identification Integrity Act would prohibit the federal government from accepting any foreign-issued documents, except for passports, as valid identification for official purposes- including entering federal buildings or boarding commercial aircraft.

The bills introduced Jan. 4 would impose a mandatory minimum sentence on a deportable alien who fails to depart or fails to attend a removal proceeding, impose a criminal penalty on an alien who fails voluntarily to depart the United States after securing permission to do so or who unlawfully returns to the United States after voluntarily departing.

They would limit automatic citizenship at birth; deny visas and admission to aliens who have been unlawfully present in the United States for more than six months and require the commissioner of Social Security to notify individuals and appropriate authorities when evidence arises that individual Social Security account numbers are being misused.

The commissioner of Social Security would be required to notify the Department of Homeland Security, employers and employees when names and Social Security numbers don't match.



http://www.toacorn.com/news/2007/0301/C ... y/019.html

This sounds like a very good bill. I hope it succeeds in passing.