[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 46 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TAXPAYER BROWSING PROTECTION ACT

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                               speech of

                            HON. BILL PAXON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 15, 1997

  Mr. PAXON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1226, 
the Taxpayer Browsing Protection Act.
  The American public should know that the problem of IRS agents 
browsing through taxpayer files is not exclusive to Washington, DC. 
Just last week in Buffalo, NY, it was revealed that at least 18 
Buffalo-area IRS agents had used their access as Government officials 
to snoop through the tax files of thousands of upstate New Yorkers. And 
of these 18, only 2 were fired for their actions.
  Quite simply, if the Government is going to compel personal 
information from its citizens, then there is a corresponding obligation 
to preserve the privacy of that information. Tax snooping is a clear 
case of abuse of Government authority, at the expense of others privacy 
and freedom.
  The repugnance of Government agents rifling through our possessions 
without cause is precisely what sparked our constitutional prohibition 
against unreasonable search and seizure.
  That is why I support H.R. 1226, the Taxpayer Browsing Protection 
Act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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