[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    ACTIONS OF TREASURY SECRETARY AND THE IRS COMMISSIONER FALL ON 
                         PRESIDENT'S SHOULDERS

  (Mr. HUELSKAMP asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HUELSKAMP. Madam Speaker, on Monday, President Obama claimed that 
the IRS was an ``independent agency.'' Mr. President, that is not true. 
As your chart shows, the President can remove both the Treasury 
Secretary and the IRS Commissioner at will. They both serve at the 
pleasure of President Barack Obama.
  In recent weeks, months, and perhaps years, President Obama has 
increasingly claimed little or no responsibility for the actions of his 
administration. Whether it is the Benghazi coverups, the ObamaCare 
failures, or this targeting of conservative groups by the IRS, 
President Obama has flipped the moniker of President Truman on its 
head. Instead of ``the buck stops here,'' Obama's theme has become 
``the buck never stops here.''
  The evidence is clear. The IRS targeted Tea Party and other 
conservative groups, and the IRS Commissioner knew about it. This gross 
misuse of political power is an absolute outrage.
  Mr. President, the IRS Commissioner and the Treasury Secretary serve 
at your will, and thus, the responsibility for their outrageous actions 
falls squarely on your shoulders.

                          ____________________