NOTE: There are four forms legislation take:

S. 123 (or H.R. 123) -- This denotes regular bills that must pass both Chambers, get Presidential signature and have force of law.

S. Res. 123 (or H.Res. 123) -- Resolutions affecting a single body of Congress.

S.J. Res. 123 (or H.J.Res. 123) -- Joint resolutions are generally the same as bills, only affect narrower subjects. They require Presidential signature after passing both Chambers, like a bill, unless it's a constitutional amendment.

S.Con.Res. 123 (or H.Con.Res. 123) -- Concurrent resolutions must pass both bodies, but can go to the President for signature. They are used for things like agreement on a date for adjournment, sense of Congress on something and for budgetary decisions. It doesn't have the force of law.

 

Bill to Protect Jobs:

H.R. 98 -- A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to enforce restrictions on employment in the United States of illegal aliens through the use of improved Social Security cards and an Employment Eligibility Database. H.R. 98 would require anyone applying for a job to get a new Social Security card with their photograph and biometric information on it. Employers would be required to verify a job applicant's legal status. Employers who violate the law would be fined $50,000 per instance (an increase of five times over the current fee). In addition, H.R. 98 calls for 10,000 new Homeland Security Department investigators to enforce the law. Workplace verification programs are an important component of preventing illegal aliens from taking jobs from those who have the legal right to work in this country, and in removing the job magnet for illegal immigration. Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) is the bill's main sponsor. Co-sponsors (5): Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-NH); Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.); Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas); Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Rep. Thomas Tancredo (R-Colo.).

 

Bill to Reduce Rewards for Illegal Immigration:

H. RES. 20 -- A resolution expressing the disapproval of the House of Representatives of the Social Security totalization agreement between the United States and Mexico. The purpose of totalization agreements is to protect the retirement and disability benefits of workers from one country who work in another country for a period of time, and to prevent such workers and their employers from having to pay Social Security taxes in both countries at the same time. Current U.S. law authorizes the SSA to enter into totalization agreements with foreign countries, unless either house of Congress disapproves the agreement. Once an agreement is signed by the SSA, it must be reviewed by the State Department and the White House and then presented to Congress. The agreement automatically takes effect 60 legislative days (i.e., days when Congress is in session) after it is presented to Congress unless either the House or the Senate passes a resolution of disapproval. Under the totalization agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, illegal aliens from Mexico working under bogus names and fraudulent Social Security numbers can apply for Social Security benefits -- both retirement and disability benefits -- once they either leave the United States or obtain legal status (e.g., through an amnesty, by marrying a U.S. citizen, etc.). The then-INS in 2000 estimated that there were almost five million Mexicans residing in the United States illegally, and that they represented almost 69 percent of all the illegal aliens in the United States at that time. Obviously, the cost of a totalization agreement with Mexico that permits all of these illegal aliens to apply for Social Security benefits for themselves and their dependents would be enormous. More importantly, though, is that such an agreement would create an incentive for even more illegal immigration from Mexico. Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) is the bill's main sponsor. Co-sponsors: None