[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 138 (Saturday, October 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4942, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2000

  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, today I will vote against the 
fiscal year 2001 Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill because 
language has been included in the conference report which, instead of 
solving the problem of the sale of Social Security numbers over the 
Internet, actually shields those who sell Social Security numbers. As 
the original sponsor of H.R. 4311, The Identity Theft Prevention Act, I 
well know the opportunity that the sale of Social Security Numbers 
gives to identity theft criminals.
  The move to outlaw the sale of Social Security Numbers gained 
momentum when a New Hampshire woman, Amy Boyer, was stalked and killed 
by a man who purchased her Social Security number over the Internet. 
But, instead of incorporating language into the conference report that 
would outlaw the purchase or sale of Social Security Numbers, the 
leadership has done just the opposite.
  In the provision that I voted against today, for the first time ever 
in law, banks, hospitals, and credit bureaus are explicitly allowed to 
sell our Social Security numbers.
  The bill does nothing to restrict the purchase of Social Security 
numbers or restrict the use of it by people who obtain it over the 
Internet. Members of Amy Boyer's family are angry at what has happened 
to their original proposal, and have asked that Amy's name not be 
associated with it.
  The proposal is opposed by numerous consumer, civil liberties and 
privacy organizations, including Consumer Action, the Consumer 
Federation of America, the Consumers Union, the ACLU, Phyllis 
Schlafly's Eagle Forum, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the 
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and the U.S. Public Interest Research 
Group.
  For this reason, I was unable to support the 2001 Commerce, Justice, 
and State Appropriations bill.

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