A pair of Senate Democrats announced legislation Thursday that would end government benefits for former members of the SS.
The bill from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) is meant to close a loophole that has reportedly allowed Nazi war criminals to collect Social Security payments long after they were forced out of the United States.
{mosads}“It is simply perverse that these criminals have been able to live comfortably abroad thanks to the American taxpayer,” Schumer said.
The senators join Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who announced plans earlier in the week to introduce a bill she has dubbed the Nazi Benefits Termination Act .
The lawmakers are acting in response to an Associated Press investigation that identified millions of dollars worth of payments to dozens of Nazi war criminals and SS guards expelled from the U.S. years ago.
The news service cited a “legal loophole that has given the U.S. Justice Department leverage to persuade Nazi suspects to leave.”
The Senate bill would deny all public benefits to any former Nazi, and it sets new requirements for immigration judges hearing applicable cases to declare the war criminals ineligible for federal benefits.
A stop order would be issued to all relevant government agencies and would be subject to review by the attorney general.
Casey called on Congress to move quickly on the matter upon lawmakers’ return to Washington after next month’s elections, calling the AP’s revelations “deeply disturbing.”
“This investigation has revealed a gross injustice, and I’m hopeful that Democrats and Republicans will come together to fix this problem in the very near future,” he said.
Reps. Sam Johnson (R-Tex.) and Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), the top two members of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, are also preparing similar legislation in the House.
This story was updated with additional information at 3:18 p.m.