On the recordSeptember 13, 2017
I thank the managers of this legislation. Mr. Chairman, any Member of Congress or any elected official has had the sad duty of going to a child's funeral. Most of us in the Christian faith have heard maybe the same words said often in the place of worship and in the funeral service, no matter who it is, and that is that a child should not go before their parents. We have seen the brokenness and, of course, the absolute despair of that family that has lost a child. Unfortunately, as we have found in Hurricane Harvey, when people have looted victims of the hurricane, it is unfortunate that bad things can happen to good people. So the families of deceased children are victimized. They are saddened by the loss of their child, whether it is an accident that is tragic or a sickness; and then, because those names are printed and become public, they are victimized again. Alexis Agin was 4 years old when she died last year from a brain tumor. As her parents grieved from their daughter's loss, someone else paid attention to the details of her death, too. An identity thief was easily able to get Alexis' personal information after she died. Her parents had no inkling until they went to file their taxes, then to their astonishment and despair, they learned that someone else had already filed a tax return using Alexis' Social Security number and claiming her as a dependent. The Agins soon learned they were one of many.…
