Michael Burgess: “House Resolution 794 provides for consideration of H.R. 5485, the Financial Services and General Government…”

“House Resolution 794 provides for consideration of H.R. 5485, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2017. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided between the chair and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The resolution also provides for consideration of 70 amendments to H.R. 5485, and provides the minority the customary motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5485, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2017, provides $10.9 billion for the Internal Revenue Service, maintains the current $2.1 billion level for taxpayer services, and provides a further $290 million to improve customer service such as phone call and correspondence response times, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity. For the past several years, the American public has viewed the Federal Internal Revenue Service as one that targets organizations for their political affiliation, slowing down approval for tax-exempt status, and attempting to chill their First Amendment-protected speech. House Republicans have exposed the many violations that have taken place at the Internal Revenue Service, and the bill before us continues to reflect the close eye that Congress continues to have on this agency, reining in their ability to further chill speech by manipulating the Tax Code.…”