[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1325-E1326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE MACOMB COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE MT. CLEMENS 
                    REGIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 29, 2006

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the Macomb County Clerk's 
office and the Mt. Clemens Regional Social Security office for an 
innovative new partnership which is expected to improve customer 
service, reduce unnecessary administrative work, and save Social 
Security over $257,000 over the next 5 years alone.
  As you know, the Immigration Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act 
required the Social Security Administration to verify all birth records 
before issuing Social Security cards. In most offices, that means 
Social Security staff have to go in person to the county clerk's office 
with stacks of birth records, which the clerk's staff then manually 
verify. The process is time-consuming and labor-intensive for both 
offices, and sometimes results in unnecessary delays for people waiting 
for new or replacement Social Security cards.
  Macomb County Clerk Carmela Sabaugh, in cooperation with Social 
Security Administration District Manager William Seaman, has 
implemented a very different system. Under Macomb County's system, 
Social Security employees are able to instantly verify birth record 
authenticity using a secure Internet page available only to Social 
Security employees with federal security clearance. The first-in-the 
nation Macomb County process builds on the digital imaging for vital 
records that Sabaugh implemented last year. It's faster and easier, but 
no less effective and secure than the old way.

[[Page E1326]]

  I'm proud that our local offices took the initiative and came up with 
a better way to implement this new requirement. Thanks to their 
innovation, staff will spend more time serving the public and less time 
processing paperwork. That's better for Social Security, better for the 
Clerk's office, and best of all, better for all the Macomb County 
residents they serve.

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