To the Editor:
Most of us call benefits paid by Social Services welfare. Prior to 1974 all welfare benefits were administered by each State’s Social Service. Effective Jan. 1, 1974 “welfare” benefits for the DISABLED and AGED (65 and older) are administered by the Social Security Administration, and are now known as Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI BENEFITS ARE PAID OUT OF GENERAL TAX REVENUES NOT THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUNDS. As stated earlier to qualify for SSI you must not only be legally admitted you must be disabled or over 65 and you must meet income and resource requirements.
I have read S4361 AKA the Border Protection and Security Act of 2024. NONE of the requirements to qualify for SSI or Social Security or Medicare were changed so the allegations by Mr. Sulko and Mr. Busi about immigrants just admitted to the US qualifying for these benefits are categorically false. As Mr. Sulko stated S4361 does provide money for the hiring of additional personnel. It also provides money for their training. What he doesn’t talk about are the funds provided for deportation, for increased surveillance for fentanyl and other synthetic drugs or acquisition and deployment of border security technology including subterranean detection capabilities. There is not a provision in the bill that does not sunset, so this gives Congress a chance to review the results and make adjustments as needed. S4361 also does not change the requirements for citizenship. Among other requirements...
The Department of Justice said it recovered a record-breaking $2.9 billion to resolve federal False Claims Act allegations in fiscal year 2024, a slight increase from the historic $2.7 billion rec...