There have been efforts on both sides of the aisle to grant
social security benefits to those who have entered and resided in this country
illegally, and those who have stolen identities.
On May 25, 2006, the Senate passed the Comprehensive
Immigration Reform Act (CIRA) of 2006- 50-49.
This bill actually rewards illegal immigrants by granting them
citizenship and Social Security benefits; all that is required of them is that
they pay back taxes for three of those five illegal years and a fine of $2000.
The proposed Totalization agreement with Mexico would allow
illegal aliens to collect Social Security benefits if they have as little as 18
months of employment history. An illegal
resident who worked under a false identity or stolen SSN only need demonstrate
that it was he doing the work to have it count toward his attainment of
benefits. U.S. citizens must show 10
years, or 40 quarters of job history, to collect benefits.
The agreement was signed by the Social Security
administrations of both countries in 2004.
It is currently awaiting President Bush’s signature, and it can take
affect without Congress’s approval.
The Seniors Coalition is against any legislation that would
compromise Social Security’s eligibility requirements for any one segment of
the population; in this case, illegal immigrants. The standard for everyone else is 10 years of
legal employment in the United States; we demand that that be the standard for
everyone.
Proponents of such bills essentially want to hand out awards
to illegal immigrants clever enough to evade our law enforcement for a few
years. They are being treated better
than law-abiding U.S. citizens; if any U.S. citizen attempted to pay three of
the five past years’ taxes; we would be subject to prosecution. This is not the kind of “reform” Americans
are demanding, and it is certainly not the kind that The Seniors Coalition will
settle for.
Social Security was
never a promise to people in other countries or those here illegally; it is a
promise made to every U.S. Citizen,
citizens who have obeyed the laws and paid their taxes.
