Doggett Challenges GOP Exploitation of IRS Failure

Fulltranscript below:

REP.DOGGETT: Thank you Mr. Chairman. What happened here is outrageous andinexcusable and unless those of us who strongly disagree with the Tea Party onmany issues defend it from any impairment and allow it to be as wrong as itwants to be, we impair our democracy.

Mr.George, many charges have been made here this morning. You as InspectorGeneral under Title 5 section 2 have a statutory responsibility as InspectorGeneral to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in the programs and operations ofthe IRS, do you not?

InspectorGeneral J. Russell George: That is correct, sir.

REP.DOGGETT: And as best I can determine, sir, you have fulfilled thatresponsibility faithfully and forthrightly. Let me ask you if using the extensiveaudit and investigation powers you have as Inspector General you have found anyevidence of corruption at the IRS.

IGGeorge: No, not at this time, sir.

REP.DOGGETT: And let me ask you sir, with your extensive powers, if you have foundthat our tax system is rotten at the core?

IGGeorge: No, definitely not rotten at the core, sir.

REP.DOGGETT: And let me ask you sir, if you have, using your statutory powers andfulfilling your responsibility, determined that the IRS picks who wins and wholoses in America.

IGGeorge: I don't believe that is the case.

REP.DOGGETT: No sir. You have not. And the statements that were made and the veryinflammatory charges at the beginning of this hearing—it is obvious have nobasis in fact, at least any fact that has yet been demonstrated this morning.It is important that in addressing and fully correcting one wrong, we notcommit and be involved in other wrongs, such as encouraging the proliferationof secret corporate money, not just the proliferation and pollution of ourdemocracy by that money, but that it be tax-subsidized secret corporate money.That we not permit those who have a fundamental disagreement with theprogressive tax system using this incident as a basis for shifting even more ofthe burden of financing our defense and our central government services ontoworking people. That we not permit those who have an agenda that is now beenvoted 37 times to try to undermine the full and effective implementation of theAffordable Health Care Act so that the health care crisis is ended for familiesacross this country. That's what's at stake here, that's what's been discussedhere.

Itis not based on any fact associated with this investigation to this date, asindicated by the Republican-appointed Inspector General whose job it was todetermine whether any of these charges had merit.

Letme move to an area where I disagree with some of my Democratic colleagues andtheir comments this morning. I don't believe there's any lack of clarity in thestatute here. The statute that is in effect, has been in effect for decades andit requires that before there is tax-exempt status, as Mr. Lawrence O'Donnell,as the Crew Group, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington haspointed out in a petition, you are to be denied this status if you are notexclusively engaged in social welfare according to the statute, is that notcorrect? The statute is explicit. It uses the word "exclusively." Theregulation the IRS adopted 30 or 40 years ago uses different language.

IGGeorge: Mr. Doggett, I have to demure the Secretary; that's a tax policyquestion and I'm not in a position-

REP.DOGGETT: I'm not asking you for tax policy, I'm just asking for a clear readingof the statute. And a clear reading of the statute that has been in place fordecades and is in place today says that there should be a denial of tax-exemptstatus to any group that is not exclusively engaged in social welfareoperations and it was only after a regulation adopted long ago, long before anyof you were at the IRS, that changed exclusively to primarily, that there was anydiscretion for this section to be involved in this operation.

IGGeorge: Mr. Doggett, I do know that we have indicated that some clarificationfrom those in the policy area of the Department of the Treasury might be neededin this area to help clarify again.

REP.DOGGETT: Well, in April, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washingtonfiled a petition with the Treasury Department and the IRS to address that. Ifthe statute, the clear wording of the statute had been followed, we would notbe having to deal today with selective enforcement, we wouldn't have anyproblems with enforcement in this area at all. And I hope that that petition ishonored and responded to promptly, as I believe you have fulfilled yourresponsibilities, Mr. George, as Inspector General. Thank you for yourtestimony and, Mr. Miller, thank you for yours and for stepping aside.

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