Ron Wyden

I think a lot of this is becoming an end run around the Fourth Amendment.

I appreciate the way in which you have tackled this over the years, keeping the focus on the substance.

The Carpenter case was certainly a step in the right direction, really looking to some of the privacy issues surrounding geolocation questions.

Thank you, Senator Jones, for giving me the opportunity, and also to the majority that arranged for me to come.

We have to ensure that our laws keep up with technology.

Constitutional rights should not stop automatically. They should not just disappear at the border.

This is incredibly short sighted and unacceptable.

The next IRS commissioner will be in charge of administering a tax system that's broken in two.

You noted a desire to rebuild trust and faith in the IRS for the 'everyday guy' and 'the guy on the street.'

During your 35-year career as a tax controversy lawyer, you have defended many wealthy individuals.

I plan on supporting each of those three nominees.

Obviously key positions with respect to fairness for taxpayers.

I agree with the decision to vote on these nominees off the floor later.

Given what has happened recently, literally a month ago, with the Vice President of the United States basically saying that his views were more important than the Johnson Amendment

What kind of a message would it send for the IRS not to pursue evidence of the law being violated by a high government official?

I thought that statement he made was way over the line. I mean, not even close, because that is really trying to interfere with the impartial administration of tax law.

I hope you will do that first, rather than continue on other matters that might make for good publicity but do not really deal with the guts of what our economy needs.

If confirmed, you have some heavy lifting to do because, after all the ballyhoo about how the administration was going to get taxes on a postcard...

Mr. Chairman, I think both of us went about a minute or so over. Could Senator Menendez just have that too?

Given the right opportunities for tax planning and tax evasion, frankly, created under the new Republican tax law, how are you going to combat the kinds of aggressive tax planners?

My view is, you only get there by making enormous mistakes, and professionals would not make that possible.

I find it incredulous that somebody could be under a continuous audit unless they had made enormous mistakes on their tax returns over and over again.

I think every American, Democrats, Republicans, whatever your political philosophy, ought to be very troubled that the Vice President thinks he can make a statement like that.

Is that not sending a message, an inherently political message, when what we want--whether it is Democrats or Republicans--is the law enforced?

It is a recipe for even more dark money going into our political system.