[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            THE IRS SCANDAL

  (Mr. LONG asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LONG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address an important issue, 
the scandal engulfing the IRS.
  Lois Lerner is a central figure in the scandal surrounding the IRS' 
decision to target certain groups of Americans for scrutiny and other 
unequal treatment due to their political beliefs.
  Now, we have learned emails pertinent to this investigation are 
missing in very suspicious circumstances involving multiple deletions 
of records and the physical loss of computer equipment.
  The missing emails only add to the IRS' gross misconduct and raise 
disturbing questions about the professionalism and neutrality of 
bureaucrats who are supposed to enforce the law in a fair, evenhanded 
manner.
  In May, the House held Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress and passed 
a resolution calling for the appointment of a special counsel to 
investigate the IRS. The IRS' conduct appears widespread and almost 
certainly harmed the right of free speech, which we cherish in this 
country.
  It is critical that Congress discovers the full truth of what 
happened at the IRS and that the responsible individuals are held 
accountable for their actions.

                          ____________________