Give Social Security to Legal Foreign Workers, Not Criminals

January 11th, 2007

I am pleased to cosponsor the Social Security Totalization Agreement Reform Act of 2007, which was introduced last week in the Senate. The bill would require that both the Senate and House of Representatives consider and approve totalization agreements, which are deals that permit workers from other countries to receive U.S. Social Security benefits for work performed in the United States.

Any agreement that would allow workers from other countries to collect benefits from our already strained Social Security system must be carefully considered and subject to approval by Congress. I have particular concern that this proposed agreement with Mexico could ultimately allow individuals to claim benefits for work done illegally through the use of fraudulent Social Security numbers. This would be wrong, and would be terribly unfair to American and legal workers who have followed the law and put their hard earned dollars in the Social Security system.

Posted by Sen. Elizabeth Dole