[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 21 (Thursday, February 11, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S548-S549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN PRAISE OF TERRENCE LUTES

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Now I wish to speak about another great Federal 
employee.
  Across the country, Americans are receiving their W-2 forms and 
taking stock of their finances in advance of April's tax filing 
deadline. For families, the ritual of filing income taxes repeats 
itself each year, and, admittedly, it isn't very much fun.
  Taxes have been an emotional and thorny subject in American history 
ever since colonial patriots rallied around the cry of ``No Taxation 
Without Representation.'' Indeed, though federal tax rates for personal 
income are low compared to most other developed countries, complaining 
about paying taxes remains one of our national pastimes.
  This is understandable. It is linked to the strong national attitude 
in our country that taxpayers' money should never go to waste. When 
Americans grumble about taxes, I believe it is not because they oppose 
them in general; rather, it is because they want to make sure that 
their money is spent wisely, fairly, and without unnecessary waste.
  One of the chief complaints about taxes in years past was that filing 
was a time-consuming and confusing process. Many can remember those 
days sitting in front of a pile of forms and receipts, punching away at 
a calculator, pencil in hand, and a 1040-form covered in eraser marks.
  Thankfully, because of this week's honoree, most Americans--more than 
95 million filers--avoided this headache last year by filing their 
taxes electronically.
  Terrence Lutes was awarded the 2005 Service to America Medal for 
Citizen Services for leading the development of the Internal Revenue 
Service's e-File program.
  Terry, who spent nearly 30 years working at the IRS, served as 
associate chief information officer for IT Services before retiring 
five years ago.
  E-File not only makes it easy for taxpayers to file online and 
receive a refund in as little as ten days; it also cuts processing 
costs by 90 percent compared to paper filing. This benefits the 
taxpayers two-fold. They save time and energy individually and reduce 
the amount of their own money spent collecting their taxes.
  Terry, who holds degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and the 
University of Colorado, first became involved with electronic filing in 
1996. As the head of the IRS's Electronic Tax Administration, he became 
the government's evangelist for online tax filing. E-File had been 
available for years, but it was costly for the IRS to operate and 
difficult for taxpayers to navigate.
  While redesigning the e-File system, Terry and his team focused on 
creating innovative public-private partnerships to reduce--and 
eventually eliminate--the direct cost to the taxpayer of filing online. 
He oversaw a workforce of over 6,500 employees, and carefully managed a 
budget of $1.5 billion. Terry cultivated relationships with software 
companies and tax-preparation businesses, and the results paid off.
  In 2005, when Terry retired after a long and distinguished career in 
public service, more than half of all tax returns were filed online for 
the first time. Today, this number continues to rise. For most 
Americans, what used to be a stressful experience is now fast, simple, 
and less expensive.
  Thanks to Terry, the way Americans pay their taxes is forever 
changed.
  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., one of the great Supreme Court justices 
of the early twentieth century, once said that ``taxes are the price we 
pay for a civilized society.'' I am glad to know that great Federal 
employees such as Terrence Lutes at the IRS continue to work hard every 
day ensuring that our tax collection system is as efficient and 
responsive as possible.
  When I go online to file my own tax return this year, I will be 
thinking of these outstanding public servants at the IRS and all who 
work in the Federal government.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Delaware is 
recognized.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Kaufman, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Lieberman pertaining 
to the submission of S. Res. 415 are printed in today's Record under 
``Morning Business.'')
  (The remarks of Mr. Kaufman pertaining to the submission of S. Res. 
417 are located in today's Record under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Oklahoma is 
recognized.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, first, let me identify and agree with the 
remarks of both the Senators concerning Iran and consider myself as 
part of that program.
  I believe it is already the order, but in the event it is not, I ask 
unanimous

[[Page S549]]

consent that I be recognized for up to 25 minutes as in morning 
business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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