The Book of Ron Paul
1998 Ron Paul Chapter 41

Social Security Numbers And Student Loans

29 April 1998

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Congressional Record (Page H2513)   Cached



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.



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