[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 26 (Monday, June 29, 1998)]
[Page 1178]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Internal Revenue Service Reform Legislation

June 19, 1998

    I am very pleased that our efforts to reform the IRS took a major 
step forward today with a bipartisan agreement reconciling the House and 
Senate legislation. I have worked very hard to give the American people 
an IRS that is fairer and more responsive to their needs. Enactment of 
this compromise reform will build on our initiative to give Americans a 
modern, customer-friendly IRS.
    Our new IRS Commissioner, Charles Rossotti, has brought forceful 
leadership and the best management techniques from the private sector to 
the agency. This bipartisan compromise will give him the tools he needs 
to succeed, while expanding taxpayer rights. It will allow the IRS to 
bring in talent and expertise from the private sector, strengthen the 
Taxpayer Advocate's office, and expand the convenient and popular 
practice of filing tax returns electronically and over the phone. We are 
pleased that Congress incorporated the Commissioner's sweeping 
reorganization of the IRS along customer service lines and addressed our 
concerns about earlier versions of this reform by correcting provisions 
that would have inadvertently allowed noncompliant taxpayers to avoid 
paying their fair share of taxes. The Congress also made sure that the 
Treasury Secretary and the IRS Commissioner will serve on the board 
overseeing the IRS.
    Under the leadership of the Vice President and Secretary Rubin, we 
have made great strides in our efforts to revamp customer service at the 
IRS. We have expanded phone and office hours, created popular new 
problem-solving days, and launched independent citizen advocacy panels. 
We cannot solve every problem at the IRS at once, but we are committed 
to correcting problems when they arise, and this bill will help us do 
that. I urge Congress to send me this compromise legislation quickly, 
but to make sure that it is fully and properly funded.

Note: This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.