Chuck Grassley: “I have the privilege this morning, with our outstanding colleague, Senator Kerrey of Nebraska, to announce my intention…”

“I have the privilege this morning, with our outstanding colleague, Senator Kerrey of Nebraska, to announce my intention to introduce a piece of legislation, the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring Act, that is a product of the National Commission on Restructuring the IRS. That commission functioned for approximately 12 months. The success of the commission is a result of the leadership of Senator Kerrey and Congressman Rob Portman of Ohio. As a member of the Commission on Restructuring the IRS, also as a current senior member of the IRS Oversight Subcommittee on the Finance Committee, and as the chief Senate sponsor of previous legislation that has been called the Taxpayers Bill of Rights I and the Taxpayers Bill of Rights II--and of course I am a taxpayer myself--I have been involved in several ways for many years in an effort to finally reach this point that we will make substantial changes, hopefully passing legislation, that will make substantial changes in the IRS and how it functions. Congress is on the verge of a very major shift in power from the Federal Government to the people. The recommendations of this commission are a blueprint for the transfer of power. Understandably, there is much anxiety within the Federal Government at this moment. It is in anticipation of this loss of power. The anxiety is at the highest levels in the executive branch that I have seen it. The American taxpayers have waited a long time for this to happen.”