[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S9773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     
     
                              ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
     
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                  RECOGNIZING MAINE'S TAXPAYER ADVOCATE SERVICE
     
      Mr. KING. Madam President, today, I want to acknowledge and 
     honor the work of Maine's Taxpayer Advocate Service office in Augusta. 
     The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent office of the Internal 
     Revenue Service that is dedicated to ensuring that every taxpayer is 
     treated fairly. While the Taxpayer Advocate Service does focus in part 
     on making critically important observations and recommendations 
     regarding the taxpayer experience in their annual report to Congress, I 
     want to focus my remarks on the individual assistance they provide to 
     taxpayers--helping Maine people resolve problems that they have not 
     been able to resolve on their own with the IRS.
       The Augusta staff is a tightly knit group of dedicated public 
     servants whose contributions to the lives of individuals across Maine 
     far outweigh their size. My staff works with them almost daily to help 
     constituents work through IRS issues that can often be very stressful 
     for individuals, couples, families, businesses, and organizations. This 
     kind of work makes a huge impact, and the professionals who work in our 
     Maine office are among the best at what they do. They continuously put 
     their expertise to work for us and do not rest on a case until every 
     ``i'' is dotted and every ``t'' is crossed.
       TAS's Augusta office stands out to us as an example of excellence in 
     congressional casework. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 
     unprecedented workload and unique problems associated with the pandemic 
     challenged the Federal workforce in a brand-new way. This group rose to 
     that challenge with attention to every case even when we knew they were 
     simply overwhelmed with the sheer volume of inquiries. Their dedication 
     to TAS's mission has shined more brightly than ever since the spring of 
     2020.
       Constituent service work is noble and impactful. My office relies 
     heavily on dozens of Federal office staff to assist in bringing 
     meaningful results to the people of Maine. The Maine Taxpayer 
     Advocate's office has stood out by consistently rising to each 
     challenge with compassion and professionalism. The Maine office of the 
     Taxpayer Advocate Service and its staff exemplifies public service at 
     its best. Myself, my staff, and all those in Maine who work with the 
     office benefits greatly from the interaction. The work immeasurably 
     improves the lives of people facing IRS issues that are often dramatic 
     and daunting. Further, we consider them an integral part of our ability 
     to resolve problems, and I thank them for their hard work, their caring 
     nature, and their exceptional dedication to excellence.
     
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