Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6084) to amend title VII of the Social Security Act to provide for a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration for individuals who are victims of identity theft, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 6084, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today and pleased that we are considering this bipartisan legislation that I introduced with a friend of mine from Connecticut, Ranking Member Larson, H.R. 6084, the Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act.

This is an issue that is important to all of us in all of our districts. As you well know, Mr. Speaker, identity theft is a crime that is growing at very alarming rates around the country. Supporting victims of identity theft is something I have long championed. As a former local prosecutor and advocate for victims, I gained a real understanding of the plight of many Americans and what they face in recovering from identity theft and from other forms of exploitation.

In response, I spent a large part of my legislative career working on victim's rights and ensuring justice. I am pleased that we are considering H.R. 6084 today.

Mr. Speaker, Americans who are victims of identity theft often face an uphill battle when they contact the Social Security Administration for help. All too often, these individuals find themselves being bounced around in phone trees from recording to recording, person to person, only to start all over again with each new person with whom they speak.

In many cases, an individual will speak to multiple people at the Social Security Administration by phone, only then to be told that they need to go to a field office to resolve the situation.

Mr. Speaker, I just think that is wrong. These are victims of identity theft who urgently need assistance from the Social Security Administration so that they can get their lives back on track. But too many of these victims are being revictimized by the Social Security Administration's cumbersome and disorganized system. It is high time that the Social Security Administration improves its customer service to victims of identity theft.

That is why I introduced H.R. 6084, the bipartisan legislation which will require the Social Security Administration to provide a single point of contact at the agency to an individual who needs to resolve a problem with the Social Security Administration because of the misuse of his or her Social Security number.

This important bill will help Americans get the assistance they need from the Social Security Administration by implementing a customer- focused process. I am pleased to have the support of AARP, the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, and the Association of Mature American Citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record statements of support for my bill from those groups.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), one of the great leaders of this body.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as today's debate on this legislation has shown, victims of identity theft in this country are facing an uphill battle in getting assistance from the Social Security Administration. Simply put, the current disconnected structure at the Social Security Administration isn't working for the American people. In response, my bill would require the Social Security Administration to assign a single point of contact at the agency to those who need to solve a problem with the Social Security Administration because of the misuse of his or her Social Security number.

This simply put but important reform will bring an added level of comfort to victims of identity theft and will ensure that they are receiving the quality care that they deserve.

In closing, I thank Ranking Member Larson for assisting in this bill and joining me in offering the bill. I also thank Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Neal, and my fellow Ways and Means members for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6084, which will provide needed assistance to victims of identity theft. The Committee on Ways and Means has been engaged for some time on the issue of identity theft. In particular, we are stewards of the Social Security

number which is a target for identity thieves because it is the key to unlocking a stolen identity.

Identity theft is a growing problem and online hacking has led to major security breaches in both government, and extensively in the private sector. Americans of all ages, even children, are vulnerable to having their identity stolen. This can wreak havoc in people's lives.

One thing we can do, which we are doing today, is to make sure that individuals can get the assistance they need from the Social Security Administration, SSA, when identity theft has caused problems with their benefits, or if their number has been severely compromised.

For example, fraudsters have been able to steal a Social Security number and use it to file a fraudulent benefit application or to file a false tax return and claim a refund. For some individuals, the theft of their identity creates such damage that they are forced to request a new Social Security number.

Right now, identity theft victims trying to resolve an issue related to the misuse of their Social Security numbers may have to contact SSA multiple times, speaking to several different people, before the issue can be fully resolved.

This legislation provides individuals with a single point of contact in the Social Security Administration that will be responsible for resolving all Social Security-related issues in connection with a theft. This unit will be accountable to identity theft victims until completion, and will track the individual's case and coordinate with other units to resolve all of these issues as quickly as possible.

I certainly support this legislation, which was reported out of the Ways and Means Committee by a unanimous vote. I urge support for H.R. 6084, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsors for their hard work, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friends, Representative Bishop, and Ranking Member Larson, for their work on this commonsense bill.

I have heard firsthand how hard it can be for victims of identity theft to work with the Social Security Administration.

Recently, a man told me about his experience of someone trying to claim his benefit. First, he got a letter from Social Security telling him to call them about his claim. He hadn't made a claim, so he called Social Security at the number they gave him, and he never heard back. Later, when he tried to file a claim of his own, he ended up having to make four separate calls. Then, Social Security told him they couldn't help him over the phone. Because of the fraudulent claim, they said he had to go to a field office. As a result of all this hassling, he decided to just put off filing his claim.

If this bill had been in place, he would have had someone in Social Security to help him. Instead, he got the runaround. Having a single point of contact at Social Security for victims of identity theft just makes sense.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.