Brady Leads House Fight to Stop IRS Abuse & Protect Free SpeechTea Party Nation Founder: “Congress is standing with the American people.”
“No American should fear their support of non-profit organizations will lead to targeting or harassment by the IRS. The First Amendment is the foundation of our liberties, and we have the right to criticize our nation and fight for our beliefs without fearing government retaliation,” said U.S. Representative Kevin Brady, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee who successfully passed legislation banning the IRS from targeting Americans.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a Ways and Means Committee-led bill stopping the IRS from targeting donors to tax-exempt organizations. The measure, the Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act (H.R. 5053), passed 240-182.
“No American should fear their support of non-profit organizations will lead to targeting or harassment by the IRS. The First Amendment is the foundation of our liberties, and we have the right to criticize our nation and fight for our beliefs without fearing government retaliation,” said U.S. Representative Kevin Brady, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee who successfully passed legislation banning the IRS from targeting Americans. Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation who worked with House conservatives to advance the bill, said “The IRS is a rogue agency, at war with the Constitution and the American people. Every time Congress passes a bill like this, Congress stands with the American people, against governmental tyranny. Chairman Brady, Chairman Roskam and the other Members who stood against the IRS have stood with the American people. We owe these Members a debt of gratitude. “ Background: H.R. 5053 would prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from collecting the identity of donors who contribute to tax-exempt organizations. Under this legislation, a tax-exempt organization would be required to report only information on donors who contribute $5,000 or more during a single tax year and who are either an officer or director of the organization or one of its five highest paid employees. This information would be excluded from public disclosure. Current law requires section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations to report information on substantial donors. The IRS defines a substantial donor as a contributor who gives $5,000 or more to an organization in a calendar year. While the IRS does not make this information public, there have been instances where IRS employees have improperly accessed and released the Schedule B donor list. This bill addresses the concern that the IRS is collecting sensitive information about donors who contribute to tax-exempt organizations. Although the IRS is required by law to maintain the confidentiality of this information, there have been widely reported instances in which the information was released to third parties. By limiting the contribution information tax-exempt organizations report to the IRS, the provision will protect taxpayers’ identities and help prevent inappropriate political targeting by the IRS. House Committee on Ways and Means HR 5053 Ways and Means Hearing on HR 5053 List of Organizations Supporting H.R. 5053: |
