Speech #1100067690

Tough borders that are going to be enforced and legality in the workplace. and the only way we are going to have legality in the workplace and also protection for the workers is the underlying bill. The bill requires SSA to begin issuing only fraudresistant. tamperresistant. wearresistant Social Security cards within 2 years. This will help prevent counterfeiting and identity theft by undocumented workers. The Grassley amendment has no comparable provision. It only requires that the worker give an employer a Social Security number rather than presenting an actual card. If we are serious. and I think all of us in this body are serious. about dealing with the undocumented. we have to have tough worksite enforcement. and we are also going to have to have tamperproof cards. I think this moves us in that direction in a very positive and important way. As I say. most importantly. at a time that we are going to go into this transition. how are the workers going to be treated. and really there is a dramatic difference between how those workers are going to be treated under the proposal we put forward under the existing bill and under the Grassley amendment.