All News PipeLine #2: Ways and Means to Hold Hearing on Internal Revenue Service Targeting Conservative Groups

By Susan Duclos

Announcement on the Committee on Ways and Means website about the IRS targeting conservatives:

Congressman Dave Camp, (R-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee, today announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) practice of targeting applicants for tax-exempt status based on political leanings. The hearing will take place on Friday, May 17, 2013, in Room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 9:00 A.M.

Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Steve Miller, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, J. Russell George, will be the only witnesses at the hearing. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

Since June 2011, the Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating whether the Internal Revenue Service discriminated against taxpayers based on political opinions. News reports indicate that the agency is now admitting this past practice.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Camp said, “The American public expects the Internal Revenue Service to be apolitical in its enforcement of our tax laws. News that the agency admits it targeted American taxpayers based on politics is both astounding and appalling. The Committee on Ways and Means will get to the bottom of this practice and ensure it never takes place again.”

In announcing the hearing, Ranking Member Sander Levin said, “The American people must have the fullest confidence that organizations requesting tax exemption receive completely unbiased treatment from the Internal Revenue Service and are never singled out by name or political views. The nation deserves a complete understanding of this matter, and as Chairman Camp and I discussed this morning, it is essential that there be a thorough and bipartisan investigation and effective remedial action.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The hearing will focus on the Internal Revenue Service’s practice of discriminating against applicants for tax-exempt status based on the political leanings of the applicants.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit written comments for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage, http://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.” Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.” Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on Thursday, May 30, 2013. Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-3625 or (202) 225-5522.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record. As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee. The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines. Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears. A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.

Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waysandmeans.house.gov/.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Ways and Means to Hold Hearing on Internal Revenue Service Targeting Conservative Groups