Washington, D.C., Jul 19, 2007 -  

House Conference Secretary John Carter (TX-31) today co-sponsored a bill designed to address the growing problem of identity theft. The bill was approved unanimously during a Ways and Means Committee meeting yesterday. Carter introduced three bills earlier this year that provide for protection against identity theft, particularly concerning the growing number of illegal aliens purchasing fraudulent Social Security cards.

“It is time that Congress steps in to make sure your private information stays private,” Congressman Carter said. “After spending 20 years on the bench, I know how hard it is for people to reclaim their identity after it has been stolen. This bill takes the necessary steps to protect people from the misuse of their Social Security numbers and will beef up the protection against identity theft.”

The Social Security Subcommittee held 17 hearings where numerous experts testified that the easy availability of Social Security numbers (SSNs) in the public and private sectors, combined with the number’s widespread use as an individual identifier, greatly facilitates the crime of identity theft. The bill would restrict the sale, purchase and public display of the SSN by government and business, to make it less accessible to identity thieves, while providing exceptions for legitimate and necessary uses of the number.

“This bill does far more than protect each person’s Social Security number,” Carter continued. “It is another line of defense against the wave of illegal immigrants who are taking refuge in the United States. This bill offers protection against forgery and theft that will ensure people who present a Social Security card as a means of identification are indeed legal citizens of the United States.”