    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [March 3, 1997]
    [Pages 229-230]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Second Supplementary Canada-
    United States Social Security Agreement
    March 3, 1997

    To the Congress of the United States:
        Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act (the
    ``Act''), as amended by the Social Security Amendments of 1977 (Public
    Law 95-216, 42 U.S.C. 433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith the Second
    Supplementary Agreement Amending the Agreement Between the Government of
    the United States of America and the Government of Canada with Respect
    to Social Security (the Second Supplementary Agreement). The Second
    Supplementary Agreement, signed at Ottawa on May 28, 1996, is intended
    to modify certain provisions of the original United States-Canada Social
    Security Agreement signed at Ottawa March 11, 1981, which was amended
    once before by the Supplementary Agreement of May 10, 1983.
        The United States-Canada Social Security Agreement is similar in
    objective to the social security agreements with Austria, Belgium,
    Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The
    Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the
    United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements provide for limited
    coordination between the U.S. and foreign social security systems to
    eliminate dual social security coverage and taxation, and to help
    prevent the loss of benefit protection that can occur when workers
    divide their careers between two countries.
        The Second Supplementary Agreement provides Canada with a specific
    basis to enter into a mutual assistance arrangement with the United
    States. This enables each Governments' Social

    [[Page 230]]

    Security agency to assist the other in enhancing the administration of
    their respective foreign benefits programs. The Social Security
    Administration has benefited from a similar mutual assistance
    arrangement with the United Kingdom. The Second Supplementary Agreement
    will also make a number of minor revisions in the Agreement to take into
    account other changes in U.S. and Canadian law that have occurred in
    recent years.
        The United States-Canada Social Security Agreement, as amended,
    would continue to contain all provisions mandated by section 233 and
    other provisions that I deem appropriate to carry out the provisions of
    section 233, pursuant to section 233(c)(4) of the Act.
        I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report
    prepared by the Social Security Administration explaining the key points
    of the Second Supplementary Agreement, along with a paragraph-by-
    paragraph explanation of the effect of the amendments on the Agreement.
    Annexed to this report is the report required by section 233(e)(1) of
    the Act on the effect of the Agreement, as amended, on income and
    expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program and the number of
    individuals affected by the amended Agreement. The Department of State
    and the Social Security Administration have recommended the Second
    Supplementary Agreement and related documents to me.
        I commend the United States-Canada Second Supplementary Social
    Security Agreement and related documents.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    March 3, 1997.