[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 78 (Thursday, May 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REPORT RELATIVE TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OVERSIGHT BOARD--
                   MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT--PM 36

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Finance.

To the Senate of the United States:
  I understand that the Congress, in creating the Internal Revenue 
Service Oversight Board (Oversight Board), designated one Board member 
to be an employee representative. I agree that the role of an employee 
representative is crucial to the success of this Board. Therefore, I 
have chosen to use the authority the Congress has given me to waive the 
conflict of interest rules that would otherwise impede Robert Tobias 
from serving on this Board while continuing to serve as President of 
the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) until August 1999 and as a 
part-time NTEU employee thereafter.
  I care deeply about the ethics laws that preserve the public trust 
and confidence in the integrity of Federal employees as they carry out 
the Government's business. In this unique instance, however, I find it 
necessary to exercise the express authority granted to me to waive 
appropriate provisions of Chapter 11 of Title 18, United States Code, 
in order to remove the impediment to Robert Tobias' service on the 
Oversight Board.
  Therefore, it is my intent to issue the following waivers to Robert 
Tobias upon his confirmation as an Oversight Board member:
  --To the extent that the interests of the National Treasury Employees 
    Union (NTEU) would, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 208(a), prohibit you 
    from participating as a member of the Internal Revenue Service 
    Oversight Board in particular matters affecting the financial 
    interests of the NTEU, I hereby waive that restriction for only 
    those interests, pursuant to I.R.C. Sec. 7802(b)(3)(D).
  --To the extent I.R.C. Sec. Sec. 7802(b)(3)(C)(i)(I-III) would 
    otherwise prohibit you from representing the NTEU before the 
    Department of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, or the 
    Department of Justice on any matter that is not pending before the 
    Oversight Board, I hereby waive those provisions until August 6, 
    1999, or until you no longer serve as NTEU President, whichever is 
    sooner.
                                                William J. Clinton.    
  The White House, May 27, 1999.

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