Eli Crane: “I rise in support of H.R. 2676, the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act. First, I would like to…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 2676, the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act. First, I would like to compliment my Ways and Means colleague, Mr. Portman, who served as a cochairman of the IRS restructuring commission, for his work on this issue. I also want to thank our chairman, Bill Archer, for the prompt committee action on the IRS commission recommendations. My office regularly assists my constituents who have had problems dealing with the IRS and I am quite familiar with the frustrations of taxpayers dealing with this agency. Of course, opposition to paying taxes and a mistrust of government is ingrained in Americans. Before our war of independence, colonists showed their disapproval of a British tax with the Boston tea party. After the Revolution, Americans took on our newly formed government with the whiskey rebellion. While we have not witnessed similar events in recent history, the IRS is easily the most hated agency of the Federal Government. But the hatred of the IRS is not just the hatred of taxes, but a genuine fear of the seemingly unchecked power the IRS wields over taxpayers. Congressional hearings this year have demonstrated that the IRS is an agency out of control. Rather than serving taxpayers, IRS bureaucrats too often make Americans feel like slaves to the government.”