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Another Tax Day has come and gone, and millions of Americans have been reminded of how confusing, complex and unfair the U.S. tax code is for hardworking families and small businesses. This week the House passed legislation that will make the IRS more accountable to American taxpayers.
The IRS collects user fees for a variety of programs and services, and under current law, the IRS has authority to allocate money from its user-fee account as the agency sees fit. In fiscal year 2015, the IRS deliberately diverted resources away from taxpayer services and towards other agency functions, including implementation of the Affordable Care Act. On Wednesday the House passed H.R. 4885, the IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending Act of 2016, which ensures that every dollar the IRS collects from filing fees and other user assessments is subject to congressional approval before it is spent.
In fiscal year 2015, the Government Accountability Office reported that only 38 percent of callers wanting to speak to an IRS representative were able to reach one, the agency’s lowest level in years. The GAO recommended that the IRS create a comprehensive customer service strategy to determine appropriate levels of service. On Thursday the House passed H.R. 4890, the IRS Bonuses Tied to Measurable Metrics Act, which requires the IRS to complete a customer service strategy before paying out any more employee bonuses.
Holding IRS Employees Accountable for Their Actions
In 2015, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported that the IRS repeatedly rehires former employees who had well-documented conduct or performance issues. These issues include failure to file taxes, accessing taxpayer information without authorization and abuse of IRS leave and property policies. On Thursday the House passed H.R. 3724, the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act of 2016, which prohibits the IRS from rehiring an employee who has been fired for certain forms of misconduct.
The inspector general also reported that only 39 percent of the 1,580 IRS employees found to be willfully noncompliant with tax laws between 2004 and 2013 were terminated, resigned or retired. This is despite current law which requires the IRS to terminate an employee who willfully fails to file a federal tax return or willfully understates federal tax liability. On Wednesday the House passed H.R. 1206, the No Hires for the Delinquent IRS Act, which suspends the hiring of new IRS employees unless the Treasury Secretary certifies that no IRS employees have serious tax delinquencies with respect to their own tax obligations.
Obamacare to Hit North Carolinians Right in the Wallet
Six years after its enactment, the so-called Affordable Care Act continues to have a negative effect on North Carolinians. The hundreds of letters, emails and telephone calls from constituents I’ve received indicate clearly that this law has proven to be anything but affordable. In fact, it has limited access to care and wasted billions of taxpayer dollars.
This week UnitedHealthcare, the biggest health insurer in the United States, announced plans to exit most of the state exchanges where it currently operates, including North Carolina, by 2017. As someone who has always opposed Obamacare and has voted more than 50 times to repeal all or portions of Obamacare, I stand firm on the principle that this law is an abomination that needs to be pulled out by its roots. This law is causing real harm to our citizens and to our economy and House Republicans will continue to offer solutions for affordable, accessible health care insurance that is patient-centered, not government-centered, for all Americans.
Carolinians in the Capitol
This week I met with a variety of individuals and organizations from North Carolina.
What’s Coming Up
Next week the House will consider legislation disapproving the Obama administration’s fiduciary rule that will limit the available options for retirement savings and reduce access to qualified advice. The House will also consider legislation reauthorizing a school choice program in Washington, D.C.
Sincerely,
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