[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE

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  AGREEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND HUNGARY, 
CONSISTING OF A PRINCIPAL AGREEMENT AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE AGREEMENT--PM 
                                   38

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

To the Congress of the United States:
  Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, as amended 
by the Social Security Amendments of 1977 (Public Law 95-216, 42 U.S.C. 
433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith a social security totalization 
agreement with Hungary, titled, ``Agreement on Social Security between 
the Government of the United States of America and the Government of 
Hungary,'' and a related agreement titled, ``Administrative Arrangement 
for the Implementation of the Agreement on Social Security between the 
United States of America and the Government of Hungary'' (collectively 
the ``Agreements''). The Agreements were signed in Budapest, Hungary, 
on February 3, 2015.
  The Agreements are similar in objective to the social security 
agreements already in force with most European Union countries, 
Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and 
Switzerland. Such bilateral agreements provide for limited coordination 
between the United States and foreign social security systems to 
eliminate dual social security coverage and taxation, and to help 
prevent the lost benefit protection that can occur when workers divide 
their careers between two countries.
  The Agreements contain all provisions mandated by section 233 of the 
Social Security Act and the provisions that I deem appropriate to carry 
out the purposes of section 233, pursuant to section 233(c)(4) of the 
Social Security Act.
  I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report required 
by section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act on the estimated number 
of individuals who will be affected by the Agreements and the estimated 
cost effect. The Department of State and the Social Security 
Administration have recommended the Agreements to me.
  I commend the Agreements and related documents.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, February 1, 2016.

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