On Capitol Hill today, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) voiced his support to keep Social Security numbers private when the Ways and Means Committee marked up the Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act.
On Capitol Hill today, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) voiced his support to keep Social Security numbers private when the Ways and Means Committee marked up the Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act.
“If you have ever had your identity stolen, you know about the frustration, hassles and struggles. And in most cases – it wouldn’t have happened if your Social Security number wasn’t abused. This reform is long overdue,” said Johnson.
In 1936, the federal government assigned Social Security numbers for Social Security tax and benefit identifications purposes. However, this very private number has morphed into a common personal identifier – used by governments, businesses and more. Coincidentally, personal identity theft has skyrocketed, becoming one of the most common white-collar crimes.
Introduced by Congressman Clay Shaw of Florida, the Act strikes a delicate balance between using the Social Security number for tax and government benefit purposes while protecting it from common use.
“Let’s face it – the combination of the Social Security numbers becoming a de-facto ID coupled with the Information Age has made Social Security number fraud too easy for scam artists looking to make a fast buck. We’ve got to draw the line somewhere and this bill does that,” continued Johnson.
Today’s Social Security Subcommittee Markup represents the first step in the legislative process. Johnson predicts the bill to go before the full Ways and Means Committee in the near future.
