Speech #920165806

Mr. Speaker. social security was introduced into American life for the purpose of providing the worker with a steady source of income in his retirement years. But the purposes of social security have been perverted in recent years by thousands of aliens working in illegal competition with American citizens and immigrants and others legally in our country. Anyone. it seems can get a social security card. and thousands upon thousands of aliens are using them to get work to which they are not entitled. Consider this testimony by Immigration Commissioner Raymond F. Farrell: As it is now. anyone can get a social security card. and many of the illegal Mexican nationals apprehended in the Southwest have four and five social security cards in their possession. From the very beginning we were hoping the social security agency would not issue cards to people who could not establish they were citizens or in possession of an alien registration card. but they did not feel that under their law they could do this. and we had sort of a running battle for many years.... Almost every form a person fills out today contains a blank space for a social security number. and when an illegal alien gets a number he can get a job without the "green card" simply by claiming to be a citizenif he is asked that question. He has a social security card. and because the law does not require him to state he is a citizen he does not commit fraud when he acquires it. Now. according to Commissioner Farrell. the Social Security Administration has a rather curious attitude about the issuance of its cards.