[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2707-S2708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BUNNING:
  S. 439. A bill to amend the Social Security Act and the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 to provide additional safeguards for Social 
Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries with 
representative payees, to enhance program protections, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, the Social Security system is one of this 
country's most important programs. Millions of older and disabled 
Americans rely on their Social Security checks each month as a reliable 
source of income.
  We all know the long-term financial problems the Social Security 
system faces, and it is critical that Congress enact legislation to 
overhaul the system as soon as possible to ensure that our children and 
grandchildren can rely on a robust and healthy Social Security program.
  Today, I am introducing a bill, the Social Security Protection Act, 
that will immediately begin protecting the integrity and finances of 
the Social Security system by combating fraud and abuse.
  Fraud and abuse in the Social Security system not only threatens its 
long-term viability, but it also robs money from the millions of 
Americans who are contributing a portion of their hard-earned paychecks 
each month to the program.
  The Social Security Protection Act makes several common-sense and 
much-needed changes, including denying Social Security benefits to 
individuals who are fugitive felons and parole violators, creating new 
civil monetary penalties to combat fraud, and providing additional 
protections to Social Security employees while on the job.
  The bill also provides additional oversight of representative payees 
who are appointed by the Social Security

[[Page S2708]]

Administration to manage the finances of beneficiaries who are unable 
to do so by themselves. Aside from additional oversight, the bill also 
imposes harsher penalties on representative payees who have misused 
their clients' funds, and even allows the Social Security 
Administration in certain circumstances to reissue misused funds to 
beneficiaries.
  Finally, the bill makes some changes to Social Security's attorney-
fee withholding process, and expands it to Supplemental Security Income 
claims, as well. The bill also makes some other minor and non-
controversial changes to Social Security law and the Ticket to Work and 
Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999.
  Last year, a similar version of this legislation came close to 
passing Congress. I hope that we can work in a bipartisan fashion with 
the House of Representatives to get this legislation passed so that our 
Social Security system can be better protected against fraud and abuse.
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