[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H9996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COMMON SENSE NEEDED AT THE IRS

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, soon it will be cookies and tea at the IRS. 
They are holding an open house down at the IRS. It is their kinder and 
gentler version of the most feared bureaucracy in America.
  After years of abusing Americans on repeated audits, after 
confiscating personal property and closing family businesses, after 
harassing local churches for returning contributions made freely by 
their parishoners, the IRS says, trust us. We did not do anything 
illegal. If we did, we will not do it again, but we do need to make 
some changes. It kind of sounds like campaign reform.
  Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of good people working at the IRS put in 
very bad positions by their management. The best thing to do would be 
to eliminate the Tax Code and create a fairer and flatter tax. But in 
the meantime we should all vote for H.R. 2676, the IRS Restructuring 
and Reform Act, and get some common sense back at the IRS.

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