Hatch Lauds Senate Passage of Bill to End Social Security Benefits for Nazis
Washington, DC - Today, Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) praised Senate passage of a bipartisan, bicameral bill to terminate Social Security benefits for Nazi persecutors. Hatch introduced the Senate version of the bill, the No Social Security for Nazis Act, in November. The legislation closes a loophole in the current law that allows persecutors to receive benefits. The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent last night.
“I am proud the Senate spoke in unison and passed this bill in a bipartisan fashion,” said Hatch. “It’s outrageous that Nazi war criminals and anyone who participated in Nazi persecution atrocities continue to collect Social Security benefits while living abroad. With the President’s signature, this will stop once and for all.”
Additional Senate cosponsors include Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Dan Coats (R-IN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
In early December, Hatch and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), pressed the Social Security Administration and the Justice Department for statistics in areas including the total number of Nazi suspects who received Social Security benefits after leaving the United States, how many suspected Nazis currently receive Social Security benefits and live outside the country, information on the potential outcome of certain identified cases, and details of interaction between the Social Security Administration and the Justice Department on the issue.
Text of the legislation and bill summary information is available by clicking here.
