Bill Clinton: “Good morning. This morning I'd like to talk to you about one way we are working to restore Americans' faith in our…”

“Good morning. This morning I'd like to talk to you about one way we are working to restore Americans' faith in our National Government, in our efforts to shore up Social Security and other vital benefits by cracking down on fraud and abuse. For 60 years, Social Security has meant more than just an ID number on a tax form, even more than a monthly check in the mail. It has reflected our deepest values, the duties we owe to our parents, to each other, to our children and grandchildren, to those whom misfortune strikes, to those who deserve a decent old age, to our ideal of one America. That's why I was so disturbed some time ago to discover that many prisoners, who are by law barred from receiving most of these Federal benefits, were actually collecting Social Security checks while locked up behind bars. Inmates were, in effect, under our law, getting away with fraud, primarily because it was so difficult to gather up-to-date information on criminals in our Nation's more than 3,500 jails. But thanks to an unprecedented Federal, State, and local cooperation, as well as new, innovative incentive programs, we're now finishing the job. The Social Security Administration has produced a continually updated database that now covers more than 99 percent of all prisoners, the most comprehensive list of our inmate population in history. And more important, the Social Security Administration is using the list to great effect.…”