WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday to strip suspected Nazi war criminals of their Social Security benefits.
The Nazi Social Security Benefits Termination Act comes in response to an Associated Press investigation published in October that revealed millions of dollars in benefits have been paid to dozens of former Nazis who were forced out of the United States. At least four are alive in Europe.
The legislation would end benefits for Nazi suspects who have lost their US citizenship, a step called denaturalization. US law currently requires a higher threshold — a final order of deportation — before benefits can be terminated. A companion bill to change the policy was introduced in the Senate.
Mike Long, a spokesman for House majority leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said ‘‘we’re eager to get this done’’ during the lame-duck session that will last until a new Congress begins in late January.
AP’s investigation found that the Justice Department used Social Security benefits to persuade Nazi suspects to leave the United States. If they agreed to go voluntarily, or left the country before being deported, they could keep their Social Security benefits. The Justice Department denied using Social Security payments as a tool for expelling former Nazis.