Posted on 01/01/2007 8:04:50 AM PST by WatchingInAmazement
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After numerous refusals over three and a half years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has released the first known public copy of the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement. The government was forced to make the disclosure in response to lawsuits filed under the Freedom of Information Act by TREA Senior Citizens League, a 1.2 million-member nonpartisan seniors advocacy group.
The Totalization Agreement could allow millions of illegal Mexican workers to draw billions of dollars from the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.
The agreement between the U.S. and Mexico was signed in June 2004, and is awaiting President Bush's signature. Once President Bush approves the agreement, which would be done without Congressional vote, either House of Congress would have 60 days to disapprove the agreement by voting to reject it.
"The Social Security Administration itself warns that Social Security is within decades of bankruptcy -- yet, they seem to have no problem making agreements that hasten its demise," said Ralph McCutchen, Chairman of the TREA Senior Citizens League.
The U.S. currently has 21 similar agreements in effect with other nations, which are intended to eliminate dual taxation for persons who work outside their country of origin. All of the agreements are with developed nations with economies similar to that of the U.S.
For example, a worker who turns 62 after 1990 generally needs 40 calendar quarters of coverage to receive retirement benefits. Under totalization agreements, workers are allowed to combine earnings from both countries in order to qualify for benefits. The Agreement with Mexico, like other totalization agreements, would allow workers to qualify with just six quarters, or 18 months, of U.S. coverage.
But Mexico's retirement system is radically different than that of other participating countries. For example, only 40 percent of non-government workers participate in Mexico's system, whereas 96 percent of America's non- government workers do. In addition, the U.S. system is progressive, meaning lower wage earners get back much more than they put in; in Mexico, workers get back only what they put in, plus accrued interest.
"I applaud the persistent efforts of TREA Senior Citizens League to try to get documents from the U.S. Government about the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement," said Rep. Walter Jones (news, bio, voting record) (R-N.C.). "The American people are finally beginning to get some of the information regarding this Agreement that they have been seeking for so long."
According to the SSA, the Social Security Trust Fund will begin paying out more than it is taking in by 2017, and will be exhausted by the year 2040.
With 1.2 million members, TREA Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Visit http://www.SeniorsLeague.org for more information or to see the Totalization Agreement documents.
SOURCE TREA Senior Citizens League
"scepticism"
How long have you been living outside of the United States?
Since this involves Mexico, I suspect that President Bush is waiting for the McCain/Kennedy Total Surrender/Total Amnesty plan to hit his desk and he'll sign both at once.
Our country is headed into a dark place.
But, many historians have noted that democracies like ours rarely last more than 200 years. We're falling right into line.
IMHO, comfort above all, apathy and Political Correctness are taking our country down.
You have such insight for someone who has only been around this forum a few months!
How long have you been spanking your monkey?
People tried to get the word out on this, no one wanted to hear it.
Keyword: Totalization
'Visa-overstays' pose Social Security risk
Posted by GarySpFc
On News/Activism 10/03/2005 6:41:52 PM PDT · 230+ views
The Washington Times ^ | 10/2/2005 | Michael Doyle
Nearly 159,000 immigrants whose visas will expire in the next five years will continue working illegally in the United States, federal investigators say. That would cost the government money in unjustified Social Security payments. It would aggravate the overall illegal-immigration burden, which Congress is now closer to confronting again. And it could threaten homeland security, investigators warn. "Unauthorized work by immigrants ... weakens Social Security numbers' integrity and may require that the agency pay future benefits to these individuals," Social Security investigators note in their new report. Moreover, "they may obtain employment in sensitive areas." But the latest evidence about...
The U.S.-Mexico Totalization Agreement Closer To Going Before Congress
Posted by Happy2BMe
On Bloggers & Personal 07/30/2005 7:42:37 PM PDT · 51 replies · 828+ views
NumbersUSA ^
The U.S.-Mexico Totalization Agreement The U.S. Commissioner of Social Security signed a totalization agreement with the Director General of the Mexican Social Security Institute on June 29, 2004. Now that the agreement has been signed, it must be reviewed first by the State Department, and then by the White House, which will submit it to Congress. Congress will have then have 60 "legislative" days to review the agreement. During this period, current law authorizes either Chamber to pass a Resolution of Disapproval of the agreement, or it will take effect automatically at the end of the 60-day period. In addition,...
Totalization With Mexico Could "Total" Social Security
Posted by FBD
On News/Activism 04/19/2005 1:07:04 AM PDT · 87 replies · 1,385+ views
Men's News Daily - The Gunners Corner ^ | Monday, April 18, 2005 | Mike Minton
Totalization With Mexico Could "Total" Social Security Recently, I received a letter from Edward I. Nelson, the Chairman of United States Border Control, regarding a proposed “Totalization Treaty/Agreement” with Mexico. This is not a subject with which I am unfamiliar, as I wrote an article about it while I was a reporter for Talon News/GOPUSA.com, viewable here. (I have to refer you to this website, as the archives at Talon News are no longer available since the “Gannon-gate” ordeal.) Totalization agreements were begun to help employees sent abroad to still have enough credits to draw Social Security benefits with the...
A Spanish word for 'outrage'
Posted by 4.1O dana super trac pak
On News/Activism 02/21/2005 10:41:04 AM PST · 15 replies · 579+ views
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 2/21/2005 | Dmitri Vassilaros
President George W. Bush wants to give illegal aliens the Social Security lockbox key.His Social Security Totalization Agreement with Mexico will give illegals money he claims will not be there when younger Americans retire. The diabolical brilliance of Dubya's self-fulfilling prophesy is extraordinario. That's Spanish for extraordinary, amigo.Or as the two cutout figures in the Guiness beer commercials say --"brilliant!"If Congress is stupid enough to agree, it will make Bush's case that Social Security insolvency is just around the corner (a street corner full of illegals taking jobs that should be for Americans).The United States has totalization programs with 20...
Mexico, U.S. reach accord on migrants' Social Security
Posted by Regulator
On News/Activism 11/23/2004 11:03:48 AM PST · 133 replies · 1,458+ views
El Universal Online ^ | November 23, 2004 | Wire services
QUITO, Ecuador Mexico and Washington agreed to introduce similar legislative initiatives whereby Mexican workers who paid into Social Security in the United States will be refunded their contributions when they return to their homeland, President Vicente Fox said here Monday. "The initiatives entail the recognition of all those (Mexicans) who have worked in the United States legally or otherwise, so they will have the right to the savings they accumulated while working in the neighboring country," said Fox, who is visiting Ecuador. During a news conference with Mexican journalists accompanying him on his travels, Fox announced that he and U.S....
Action Alert: Mexican "totalization agreement" is different from other agreements
Posted by ETERNAL WARMING
On News/Activism 09/23/2004 8:12:25 PM PDT · 4 replies · 337+ views
LOU DOBBS TONIGHT ^ | Sep 23, 2004 | Lou Dobbs
LOU DOBBS TONIGHT Aired September 22, 2004 Three million illegal aliens will enter this country this year. Asmany as 12 million are already here. So why all the talk of amnesty? We'll have a special report. And an exclusive report on what the governments of the United States and Mexico had hoped would be a secret agreement, an agreement that would encourage millions more illegal aliens to enter this country. REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R), CA: If we spend more money and we provide more benefits to illegal immigrants, there will be more illegal immigrants. (END VIDEO CLIP) DOBBS: Congressman...
Totalization Treaty With Mexico -- The Sellout of America Continues
Posted by TERMINATTOR
On News/Activism 08/31/2004 3:14:06 PM PDT · 153 replies · 2,329+ views
U.S. BORDER CONTROL ^ | August/10/04
A year ago, this organization warned that the Bush Administration was planning to do something unthinkable - they were seriously considering signing a pact with Mexico that would give any Mexican who had worked in the U.S., including illegal aliens, full U.S. Social Security benefits, paid out of your Social Security Trust Fund! It seemed so far fetched, we had trouble convincing the Congress that it could happen. A White House spokesman denied our claim that it was on a fast track, stating the ongoing discussions for Totalization were just informal and preliminary. But we knew better. We had obtained...
Hell, maybe WE need to start taking over THEIR identities! It looks like they'll be in a much better position to retire than we will.
_____
This is a great program!
Now the illegals can not only take away jobs from Americans, they can take away their Social Security money too!
There is even better news - with fat SS checks coming in, the Mexican illegals can go back home and live like kings in their own country when they turn 62. Maybe we can pass a law to start paying them immediately, so they will go home right away. We can include an earmark for 7-11 to make up for the lost business from it's illegal loiterers.
This is the long term fix to the illegal alien problem. Karl Rove IS a genius!
"Lobbying groups can put out all the PR news releases they want."
As you well know. Opinion shapers spam forums and blogs, too. Should we take to calling you "Spane?"
This is the part that should upset anyone with their head wired on right side up. Illegals may contribute into SS, but they do so through falsified documentation.
This isn't a good thing. No amount of sugar coating it can make it a good thing. A chocolate covered dog turd is still a dog turd.
Bush and his Dem allies will now finish writing the final chapter for this Nation. Hard choices ahead kids.
"How long have you been spanking your monkey?"
An absolutely brilliant level of discourse. I'd expect no less from you, lol.
"For example, a worker who turns 62 after 1990 generally needs 40 calendar quarters of coverage to receive retirement benefits."
"generally" being the keyword because many draw SS without ever working one single day in their life or paying anything into the system. It is a welfare program.
Well I would most like to know where you were BEFORE '04!
I agreed with Iwo Jima, who is also sceptical of the politicians and their plans for Social Security - I lack the deep trust and insight in politicians that you seem to have. Does that make you naive or even foolish?
BTW, Thomas Jefferson agreed with my scepticism, saying, Speak no more of trust in men, but bind them down with the chains of the Constitution. FYI
It is very telling that the TREA Senior Citizens League had to resort to using USNewswire, a professional media whoring outfit, to spread the news.
What a shame! I hope they used the $625 option.
Just keeping things at a level you can understand.
"Because the poster said it was already a done deal. Until the president signs it and Congress goes along, it is not a done deal. So keep that "tin-foil-hat" on. For now."
I was channeling you when I said "Big Government Defenders". :)
I haven't read this yet but wanted to ping those of you that I know are interested.
Thank you. I'm disgusted with myself for not taking it more seriously and this wonderful government we have. It appears a perfect storm is brewing in this country.
How funny you are! This agreement was created when we had a REPUBLICAN congress and a REPUBLICAN white house. But that being said, federal politicians and bureaucrats are nearly ALL corrupt as you are, I am sure, aware.
In fact, the arguing of republican vs democrat is so last century. Its globalist vs those who wish to preserve our nation. Clearly many on FR fit in the former group rather than the latter.
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