    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [June 25, 2002]
    [Pages 1170-1171]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Second Protocol to the
    Netherlands-United States Agreement on Social Security
    June 25, 2002

    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 the Second Protocol to the Agreement
    Between the United States of America and the Netherlands on Social
    Security (the ``Second Protocol''). The Second Protocol was signed at
    The Hague on August 30, 2001, and is intended to modify certain
    provisions of the original U.S.-Netherlands Agreement, signed December
    9, 1987, as amended by the Protocol of December 7, 1989 (the ``U.S.-
    Netherlands Agreement'').
        The U.S.-Netherlands Agreement as amended by the Second Protocol is
    similar in objective to the social security agreements that are also in
    force with Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Germany,
    Greece, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
    Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. 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 loss of benefits that can occur when
    workers divide their careers between two countries. The U.S.-Netherlands
    Agreement as amended by the Second Protocol contains all provisions
    mandated by section 233 and other provisions that I deem appropriate to
    carry out the purposes of section 233, pursuant to section 233(c)(4).
        I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report
    prepared by the Social Security Administration explaining the key points
    of the Second Protocol with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the
    provisions of the Second Protocol (Annex A). Also annexed to this report
    is the report required by section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act,
    a report on the effect of the Second Protocol on income and expenditures
    of the U.S. Social Security program and the number of individuals
    affected by

    [[Page 1171]]

    the Second Protocol (Annex B), and a composite text of the U.S.-
    Netherlands Agreement showing the changes that will be made as a result
    of the Second Protocol. The Department of State and the Social Security
    Administration have recommended the Second Protocol and related
    documents to me.
        I commend the Second Protocol to the United States-Netherlands
    Social Security Agreement and related documents.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     June 25, 2002.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    July 3.