Arlen Specter: “Senator McCain is asking for some time. It is my hope that we can move ahead with either a time agreement or a vote on…”

“Senator McCain is asking for some time. It is my hope that we can move ahead with either a time agreement or a vote on the Ensign amendment, but now I yield to Senator McCain. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona is recognized. Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to the Ensign amendment. Under current law, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Social Security benefits which I think is entirely appropriate. But we all know that millions of undocumented immigrants pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for years and sometimes decades while they work to contribute to our economy. According to Stephen Goss, the Social Security Administration's chief actuary, three-quarters of illegal immigrants pay payroll taxes. These payments generate approximately $8.5 billion in Social Security and Medicare taxes each year. In fact, according to a 2005 New York Times article, the Social Security Administration records these payments in a so-called earnings suspense file, which grew by $189 billion in the 1990s and continues to grow by over $50 billion each year, generating up to $7 billion in Social Security tax revenue and about $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes. According to the article, most of these payments come from illegal immigrants.…”