Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on Thursday about his new legislation that would prevent illegal immigrants from using Americans’ Social Security numbers, protect citizens’ privacy, and deter illegal immigration.
On Wednesday, Rep. Carter introduced H.R. 6333, Tax Identity Protection Act, which would direct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to help protect Americans from illegal immigrants from fraudulently using their Social Security numbers.
In his press release this week, the Georgia Republican said that he contacted the IRS and the agency told him that they were not “in the position to notify victims” that their Social Security numbers were used fraudulently. The IRS “blamed it on a computer system.”
Rep. Carter Breitbart News why he decided to sponsor this legislation, saying, “After we found out that last June of 2017 that the Inspector General in the Treasury Department had noted that there was like 1.4 million illegal immigrants that were fraudulently using Social Security numbers of American citizens, we knew wanted to do something about that.”
The Georgia Republican slammed the IRS for doing nothing to prevent illegal immigrants from stealing Americans’ Social Security numbers, or, at least notify American citizens about the fraud.
“That was probably the most egregious part of it. It was not only that the IRS was not notifying citizens that their Social Security number had been compromised and used by illegal immigrants, it was also the attitude, to be quite honest with you,” Congressman Carter said. “They were nonchalant, they said they couldn’t do anything about it, that’s how the computer system works.”
“It’s just a catastrophe in the making, and we found appalling that the IRS was taking a lackadaisical view toward to it,” Carter added.
Congressman Carter then suggested that most illegal immigrants try to obtain Americans’ Social Security numbers “to gain longer access” to America. The Georgia Republican said that his legislation “would deter people who are doing this, using these Social Security numbers fraudulently and it would be easier to identify them because I’m sure right now they can stay longer to slip under the radar.”
Carter’s legislation has several cosponsors from across the Republican spectrum. Freedom Caucus members such as Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX), Scott Perry (R-PA) and other Republicans such as Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) have sponsored the bill.
Carter said that many of his colleagues “were very concerned about it, they were outraged by it,” when he heard about illegal immigrants stealing Americans’ Social Security numbers and IRS doing nothing about it.
The Georgia Republican added, “There should be bipartisan support.”
Carter told Breitbart News that his legislation reinforces the need for a wall on America’s southern border and stronger border and immigration enforcement.
The Georgia Republican said, “It proves the point there are bad actors out there, who are coming in and this would be another example where we need to secure our borders and make certain that those who are bad actors can be taken out of the country.”
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