[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      UNFAIR PRACTICES AT THE IRS

  (Mr. FORTENBERRY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, it has become increasingly clear in the 
last few weeks that certain IRS employees engaged in unfair practices 
targeting Americans because of their religious or political beliefs. 
The scrutiny was improperly frequent and systemic. The questions asked 
of certain groups were intrusive and inappropriate.
  A well-functioning government must ensure that those in positions of 
influence are committed to serving with impartiality and fairness. 
Revelations that the IRS targeted groups based on their religious or 
political affiliation undermine the public trust. I think we can all 
agree that regardless of one's political views, equal treatment under 
the law is a fundamental right that cannot and should not be broken.
  We were sent to Congress to ensure that these fundamental rights are 
upheld. We must continue to work aggressively to root out the causes of 
this serious breach of trust by the IRS.

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