For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 17, 2004

Message to the Congress of the United States

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

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 Japan on Social Security, which consists of two separate instruments: a principal agreement and an administrative arrangement. The Agreement was signed at Washington on February 19, 2004.

The United States-Japan Agreement is similar in objective to the social security agreements already in force with Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, 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-Japan Agreement contains all provisions mandated by section 233 and other provisions which 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. Annexed 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 United States 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-Japan Social Security Agreement and related documents.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

November 17, 2004.

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