Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. It gives me pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. PAUL).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Gentleman from Texas is recognized for 3 minutes.
1998 Ron Paul 41:1
Mr. PAUL.
I thank the gentleman for yielding, and, Mr. SPEAKER, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.
1998 Ron Paul 41:2
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, so ordered.
1998 Ron Paul 41:3
Mr. PAUL.
I rise in support of this rule. It’s obviously
a very fair rule because I’m
allowed to offer an amendment later
on, so I am pleased to be able to vote
for this rule. I have an amendment
that I’m going to offer in Title I
which will be designated so that the
Social Security number cannot be used
for the electronic personal identifier
for any of the programs in this educational
bill.
1998 Ron Paul 41:4
The American people have become
very worried about how often the Social
Security number is being used as a
national identification number, and we’re working quickly toward a time
where we have a national identification
card. We certainly have abused the Social
Security number as being the number. It was never intended that way. That is not what was intended when
the Social Security was started that
this number would be a universal number
for everything.
1998 Ron Paul 41:5
In 1974, it was stated rather explicitly
that the Social Security number
should not be used for programs like
this, and I would like to just quote the
Privacy Act of 1974:
“It shall be unlawful
for any Federal, State or local government
agency to deny any individual
any right, benefit or privilege provided
by law because such individual’s refusal
to disclose his Social Security
number.”
And I think this is a good idea, because
today we’re very much aware of the
fact that if a company, if a loaning
company, or if you’re going into a store
to buy something, if they get your
name and your Social Security number,
you know that they can call up
more information about you
than you know about yourself. I
think this is a serious threat to the
privacy of every American citizen, and
we should be cautious about using the
Social Security number. It’s being
used all the time.
1998 Ron Paul 41:6
Prior to coming to this
Congress, I was an obstetrician delivering
babies, and babies can’t leave the
hospital these days without a Social
Security number. So where they are born with
a Social Security number, they don’t
leave the hospital, and do
you know that you cannot
have a death certificate without a Social
Security number? I mean, they’re everyplace. It’s an intrusion on our privacy. We do not need to use a Social Security
number.
1998 Ron Paul 41:7
When I was in the Air Force, we used
to have an identification number, but
now, today, it’s the Social Security
number. Not too many years ago a law
was passed here in the Congress that
mandates that each State licensing
agents for our automobile says that one
has to have a Social Security number. So now they will be cross-checking
with Social Security number and all of
our driver’s license numbers. We are losing our privacy in this
country. The American people know it. We do not need this number to be used
in this program for it to be successful,
and we should move very cautiously,
and I hope I can get support for this
amendment so that we do not use the
Social Security number as the electronic
personal identifier. Thank you.
Notes:
1998 Ron Paul Chapter 41
The amendment discussed in this chapter is the amendment introduced by Ron Paul
in 1998 Ron Paul Chapter 42
1998 Ron Paul 41:1 Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Here, Ron Paul
thanks The Honorable Doc Hastings of Washington.
1998 Ron Paul 41:6
Where Ron Paul says, So where they are born with
a Social Security number, they don’t
leave the hospital perhaps he meant, So where they are born with
a Social Security number, or they don’t
leave the hospital.
