Speech #980124764

I join my colleague. Mr. NICKLES. in introducing this bill to prohibit social security benefits from being paid to illegal aliens. If an illegal alien is employed illegally. allowing them to be on social security compounds a problem when they leave the country and start drawing benefits. All of us have heard from angry constituents who are appalled to learn that perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars are being paid out of the trust funds in benefits earned through unlawful employment in violation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The benefits drawn out are quickly more than any that were contributed by the illegal alien. In these days of fiscal austerity. retirees are forgoing a meager 3.5 percent costofliving increase for 6 months while their health. care. utility. and other expenses continue to escalate. And employed workers whose payroll taxes are going up are. in effect. subsidizing benefit payments to these illegal aliens. We find it hard to condone Congress allowing any questionable outgo of the trust funds to continue. As you know. the Senate did vote overwhelmingly in March to close this loophole when it considered the social security bill.