House amendment tightens reins on issuing Social Security numbers

House amendment tightens reins on issuing Social Security numbers

An Iowa congressman has pushed through an amendment aimed at prohibiting the federal government from hiring illegal aliens.

This is the latest amendment Steve King (R-Iowa) has offered to nearly a half dozen bills recently passed by the House of Representatives. The amendment, added to a federal housing assistance bill, would ensure that taxpayer money would not be used to hire illegal aliens.

King says the measure is necessary in light of a June 2006 report on the Social Security Administration from the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report showed that the government has issued millions of what where supposed to be non-work Social Security numbers for people needing to obtain driver's licenses or some other benefits. Unfortunately, he says, people are using them for something else.

"These Social Security numbers have been used to gain illegal employment in the United States," King explains. "And the study that was done was a sample study that was analyzed by the [OIG] that demonstrated that the government is the largest employer of unlawful aliens in the United States."

The Iowa Republican's amendment would also force the Social Security Administration to keep better tabs on persons obtaining a Social Security number. "It would require that they run the numbers, the Social Security numbers, and identify that the people who are being paid are lawful to work in the United States," he explains.

The House measure drew large bi-partisan support, passing by a 263-146 vote.