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| Rep. Adrian Smith |
The Obama Administration has dismissed concerns about the IRS targeting of conservative groups as “bad customer service” or “poor performance.” The President described these concerns as “phony.” The American people know better. Given the immense power of the agency and the sensitivity of the information they collect, we have an obligation to fully investigate these allegations, and hold accountable any responsible parties.
Adding to the concern, the IRS will be the chief enforcer of the many new health care mandates set to be implemented during the next year. This week, I participated in a Committee on Ways and Means hearing on the status of implementing the health care law with Daniel Werfel, the acting head of the IRS. I asked Commissioner Werfel if he was confident the personal taxpayer information to be collected by the agency would be secure. He claimed the information will be safe, even though he also admitted many of the security lapses and releases of information at question have yet to be resolved.
The Commissioner’s answers to our questions did nothing to improve confidence the IRS is prepared to implement and enforce this enormous new law. The inappropriateness of giving the agency more authority and access to personal information is why the House passed H.R. 2009, the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act on Friday. This legislation would prevent the agency from implementing any portion of the President’s health care law.
The House passed several other bills this week to help prevent abuse, increase transparency, and restore trust in the federal government. Among other reforms, the bills we passed this week would ensure citizens have the right to record their meetings and telephone exchanges with federal regulatory officials; would allow agencies to place high-level employees on unpaid leave when they are under investigation for serious offenses; and would lower the amount of bonuses and the number of senior employees eligible to receive them. We also passed bills which would stop abuse of agency conferences through increased transparency and accountability, and in the case of the IRS, a moratorium.
Perhaps the most important reform passed by the House this week was H.R. 367, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. For too long, Congress has allowed administrations of both parties to enact regulations at great costs to the American people with little oversight. This pattern has led to agencies regularly overreaching their authority, which undermines the constitutional separation of powers.
The REINS Act would allow Congress to vote on the most expensive new rules before they are enforced on hardworking families and small businesses. This commonsense reform would help restore the balance of power in Washington and return responsibility for the legislative process to Congress.
All of these reforms would require approval by the Senate and the President before they could become law. However, we will not be deterred from seeking accountability and improvement in the federal government, because the American people are demanding we do better.
Adding to the concern, the IRS will be the chief enforcer of the many new health care mandates set to be implemented during the next year. This week, I participated in a Committee on Ways and Means hearing on the status of implementing the health care law with Daniel Werfel, the acting head of the IRS. I asked Commissioner Werfel if he was confident the personal taxpayer information to be collected by the agency would be secure. He claimed the information will be safe, even though he also admitted many of the security lapses and releases of information at question have yet to be resolved.
The Commissioner’s answers to our questions did nothing to improve confidence the IRS is prepared to implement and enforce this enormous new law. The inappropriateness of giving the agency more authority and access to personal information is why the House passed H.R. 2009, the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act on Friday. This legislation would prevent the agency from implementing any portion of the President’s health care law.
The House passed several other bills this week to help prevent abuse, increase transparency, and restore trust in the federal government. Among other reforms, the bills we passed this week would ensure citizens have the right to record their meetings and telephone exchanges with federal regulatory officials; would allow agencies to place high-level employees on unpaid leave when they are under investigation for serious offenses; and would lower the amount of bonuses and the number of senior employees eligible to receive them. We also passed bills which would stop abuse of agency conferences through increased transparency and accountability, and in the case of the IRS, a moratorium.
Perhaps the most important reform passed by the House this week was H.R. 367, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. For too long, Congress has allowed administrations of both parties to enact regulations at great costs to the American people with little oversight. This pattern has led to agencies regularly overreaching their authority, which undermines the constitutional separation of powers.
The REINS Act would allow Congress to vote on the most expensive new rules before they are enforced on hardworking families and small businesses. This commonsense reform would help restore the balance of power in Washington and return responsibility for the legislative process to Congress.
All of these reforms would require approval by the Senate and the President before they could become law. However, we will not be deterred from seeking accountability and improvement in the federal government, because the American people are demanding we do better.
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