Someone better tell this Rep that Bush has already signed an executive order to give illegals full social security benefits after 18 months of work.....which was part of the latest Illegal Alien Amnesty bill.
Had Amnesty passed, this order would have become law.
According to the detailed chart in the GAO report on totalization, a lower paid illegal with 8 credits would receive $39.00 per month. With 20 credits, $99.00 per month. With 36 credits, $178.00 per month.
If the illegal has higher earnings, he would receive higher benefits.
If an illegal accrues 40 credits, he is ineligible for totalization payments. Whatever SS benefits he may, or may not, be eligible are covered by other laws/regs.
You don't have to be an expert on this. The vast majority of illegals will not be eligible for totalization because they worked off the books and didn't pay in, or if they did pay in, they don't have the documentation.
Once the President submits the agreement to Congress, which he is expected to do this fall, it goes into effect automatically unless the House of Representatives or the Senate adopts a resolution of disapproval within 60 legislative days.
However, the resolution of disapproval mechanism currently in the Social Security Act is an unconstitutional legislative veto, based on the Supreme Court's decision in INS v. Chadha, in which the Supreme Court struck down a similar provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Since Congress has never rejected a totalization agreement, the fact that the mechanism for disapproval is unconstitutional has not been an issue. Unless the law is changed, though, the passage of a resolution of disapproval would result in a judicial challenge, potentially resulting in a judgment that the agreement is effective regardless of Congress' wishes. Nice, huh?