Brad Wenstrup: “Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. The IRS has admitted to paying politics with our Tax Code, going as far as singling out…”

“Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. The IRS has admitted to paying politics with our Tax Code, going as far as singling out certain groups for having ``patriot'' in their name. Unfortunately, much of the targeting that occurred happened in my district's backyard, in the IRS field office in Cincinnati. Americans have the right to be outraged, and they deserve better. I want to thank the chairman of the committee for ensuring that free speech rights are protected in this bill. Mr. Chairman, I wrote to you in April asking that we prohibit funding to implement proposed rules on 501(c)(4) organizations, and my constituents are appreciative that you acted. By prohibiting funding for certain IRS activities, this bill would prevent these IRS abuses from becoming law. Importantly, this bill is designed to make sure the government works for its citizens, not against them. While the House continues its efforts to get to the bottom of the IRS political targeting, this is a meaningful action we can take now to make sure the behavior isn't repeated. Every American has the right to participate and engage in civic debate and must be protected from partisan bureaucrats. IRS targeting isn't just an affront to the Constitution, but a threat to all Americans seeking to exercise their First Amendment rights. I thank the chairman and his committee again for their diligent work on this bill.”