[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 70 (Friday, May 17, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H2721-H2722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ABUSE OF POWER BY THE IRS

  (Mr. BARROW of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARROW of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the folks in 
my district in Georgia who are witnessing a series of serious missteps 
in the Federal Government, giving rise to an unprecedented level of 
distrust in government.
  This week, we learned that the Internal Revenue Service used 
inappropriate criteria to delay or stall conservative organizations 
applying for tax-exempt status. This is a totally unacceptable abuse of 
the power the IRS has in our government, and calls into question any 
future decisions made by that agency.

[[Page H2722]]

  Trust in the Federal Government is already at an all-time low. To 
help regain any of that trust, it is essential that all personnel 
involved in this misuse of power be held accountable. We've got serious 
work to do in Congress, but this sort of trouble only takes time and 
attention away from the work we need to do.
  I urge my colleagues to investigate this matter swiftly and get on 
with the work we've been sent here to do.

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