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Message to the Congress of the United States
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 16, 2008

Message to the Congress of the United States

ÿÿWhite House News


Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the
Social Security Amendments of 1977 (Public Law 95-216, 42 U.S.C.
433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith the Agreement Between the United States of
America and Poland on Social Security, which consists of two separate
instruments: a principal agreement and an administrative arrangement. The
agreement was signed in Warsaw on April 2, 2008.

The United States-Poland Agreement is similar in objective to the social
security agreements already in force with Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements provide for
limited coordination between the United States and foreign social security
systems to eliminate dual social security coverage and taxation, and to
help prevent the lost benefit protection that can occur when workers divide
their careers between two countries. The United States-Poland Agreement
contains all provisions mandated by section 233 and other provisions that I
deem appropriate to carry out the purposes of section 233, pursuant to
section 233(c)(4).

I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report prepared by
the Social Security Administration explaining the key points of the
Agreement, along with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the
provisions of the principal agreement and the related administrative
arrangement. Attached to this report is the report required by section
233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, a report on the effect of the
Agreement on income and expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program
and the number of individuals affected by the Agreement. The Department of
State and the Social Security Administration have recommended the Agreement
and related documents to me.

I commend to the Congress the United States-Poland Social Security
Agreement and related documents.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

July 16, 2008.

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