Orrin Hatch: “I wish to speak on the nomination of John Koskinen to be the next Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. I want…”

“I wish to speak on the nomination of John Koskinen to be the next Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. I want to say upfront that I support Mr. Koskinen's nomination as I believe he is a qualified candidate for this position and he deserves to be confirmed. However, I do have to say that I am disappointed in the process by which his nomination has been moved through the Senate, both in the Finance Committee and here on the floor. There is simply no reason for the Senate to rush to confirm Mr. Koskinen, and there is ample reason for us to take our time. It goes without saying that the IRS is one of the most powerful agencies in our government. It is both feared and loathed by people throughout the country. That being the case, it is absolutely essential that all the actions of the IRS and its leadership are above board. That is the only way for the agency to maintain its credibility. That is the only way an agency this powerful can maintain the trust of the American people. The American people should be able to trust that the IRS will enforce our Nation's tax laws without bias or prejudice. If that trust is broken, it damages the credibility of our entire government. Needless to say, over the last few years, the IRS hasn't done a good job of maintaining that trust and, as a result, it has eroded its own credibility. I am talking, of course, about the IRS political targeting scandal currently under investigation in the Finance Committee.…”