    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [July 16, 2008]
    [Pages 1033-1034]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Poland-United States Social
    Security Agreement
    July 16, 2008

    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 Agreement Between the United States
    of America and Poland on

    [[Page 1034]]

    Social Security, which consists of two separate instruments: a principal
    agreement and an administrative arrangement. The agreement was signed in
    Warsaw on April 2, 2008.
        The United States-Poland Agreement is similar in objective to the
    social security agreements already in force with Australia, Austria,
    Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
    Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, 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 lost benefit
    protection that can occur when workers divide their careers between two
    countries. The United States-Poland 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 Agreement, along with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the
    provisions of the principal agreement and the related administrative
    arrangement. Attached to this report is the report required by section
    233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, a report on the effect of the
    Agreement on income and expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program
    and the number of individuals affected by the Agreement. The Department
    of State and the Social Security Administration have recommended the
    Agreement and related documents to me.
        I commend to the Congress the United States-Poland Social Security
    Agreement and related documents.

                                                              George W. Bush

    The White House,

    July 16, 2008.