    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [March 20, 2007]
    [Pages 337-338]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Sweden-United States Social
    Security Agreement
    March 20, 2007

    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 (42 U.S.C. 433(d)(1)), I
    transmit herewith the Supplementary Agreement on Social Security between
    the United States of America and the Kingdom of Sweden. The
    Supplementary Agreement was signed in Stockholm on June 22, 2004, and is
    intended to modify certain provisions of the original United States-
    Sweden Agreement, which was signed May 27, 1985, and that entered into
    force January 1, 1987.
        The United States-Sweden Agreement, as revised by the Supplementary
    Agreement, remains similar in objective to the social security
    agreements that are also in force with Australia, Austria, Belgium,
    Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Korea,
    Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, 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 United States-Sweden Agreement,
    as revised by the Supplementary Agreement, 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 Supplementary Agreement with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation
    of the provisions of the Supplementary Agreement. Annexed to this report
    is the report required by section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act
    on the effect of the Supplementary Agreement on income and

    [[Page 338]]

    expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program and the number of
    individuals affected by the Supplementary Agreement and a composite text
    of the United States-Sweden Agreement showing the changes that will be
    made as a result of the Supplementary Agreement. The Department of State
    and the Social Security Administration have recommended the
    Supplementary Agreement and related documents to me.
        I commend to the Congress the Supplementary Agreement to the United
    States-Sweden Social Security Agreement and related documents.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     March 20, 2007.