Brady: It’s Time to Fix the Mess at the IRS
House Passes IRS Restructuring Bill, 426-4

Congressman Kevin Brady hailed action taken in the House of Representatives today to restructure the IRS and place the agency on the path to greater accountability. "During this Congress we started the process to totally change the current tax system in America and today we are taking steps to restructure an agency that has become an intolerable burden to the American people," said Brady.

The legislation, entitled the Internal Revenue Service and Reform Act, overhauls the management, administration and oversight structure of the IRS. Among the many reforms contained in the bill are the creation of an oversight board to aggressively monitor IRS daily operations and a mandate that the burden of proof in tax liability cases be shifted to the IRS. Currently, individuals must prove their innocence in tax cases.

Recent hearings on the IRS in the U.S. Senate disclosed widespread abuses by IRS employees. During the hearings, an agent at the Houston IRS office testified that the agency targeted the poor and that IRS managers condoned abusive practices by its employees. The agent also claimed to know about instances of suicide because of harassment at the hands of IRS agents.

"The American people realize that taxes have to be collected to run the government. But the IRS has become totally unaccountable," said Brady of the agency. "I firmly believe that part of restoring the confidence of the Americans in their government is restoring fairness and simplicity to the tax system."

Brady announced yesterday that he will be participating in a tax reform town hall meeting on November 15th with fellow Congressmen Tom DeLay and Bill Archer. The theme of the town hall meeting is "Fix the Mess at the IRS." The event will be held at Don Coleman Community Coliseum, near Tully Stadium, on Saturday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information on "Fix the Mess at the IRS," or for directions, please call 281-895-8892.