Speech #980083387

The report shows that this fraud is costing the taxpayers through various Federal. State. and local agencies an excess of $24 billion annually. Illegal aliens have easy access to identification documents such as social security cards. birth certificates. and drivers licenses. At present. more than 7.000 different agencies using more than 1.000 different formats issue original or duplicate birth certificates. These certificates are then used to obtain drivers licenses. passports. social security cards. food stamp identification cards. and so forth. These items then enable these people to collect unemployment benefits. food stamps. and student loans. Counterfeit INS green cards allow these aliens to remain in the country. The problem lies in the inability to establish positive identification in the current system. Agencies such as the Social Security Administration. the Internal Revenue Service. the Immigration and Naturalization Department and the State Department as well as State and local agencies need to work out a system in which to work together to uncover fraud. The Subcommittee on Investigations listed in its report several projects in which agencies cooperated and were successful in tracking down fraud schemes. These projects are in limited areas. however. and if we are to stop this unnecessary waste and criminal activity it must become a nationwide effort.