Wayne Allard: “I rise this morning to talk with my colleagues about the Internal Revenue Service. This week my colleagues on the…”

“I rise this morning to talk with my colleagues about the Internal Revenue Service. This week my colleagues on the Finance Committee have been holding hearings to examine the inner workings of the Internal Revenue Service. I appreciate their effort to more closely examine this institution. Not only do I appreciate it, but there are many Americans who appreciate this effort. For too long the Internal Revenue Service has not been accountable as an institution. Our Nation was built on a system of checks and balances. However, the Internal Revenue Service seems to have escaped this protection for Americans. For too long the Internal Revenue Service has used secrecy, intimidation and fear to do battle against those whom it has been called upon to serve, and that is the American taxpayers. I found it especially interesting that during those hearings those who know the Internal Revenue Service best--that is its own employees-- were the most afraid. Those who know what the Internal Revenue Service does were the ones who wanted to protect their identities.”