
Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (left) with House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy
By Congressman Peter Roskam -
Recent stories out of Washington center
around a bureaucracy run amok. At the IRS alone, scandals vary from millions
spent on wasteful junkets, to the targeting and harassment of individuals and
certain groups based on their religious and political beliefs, and the mismanagement
and illegal release of confidential information. In an age of big
government, federal agencies have grown larger and more powerful. Faceless, unelected and largely unaccountable bureaucrats are acting as both
judge and jury for too many Americans caught in the crosshairs.
Congress must put a check on Executive
Branch agencies and end this ridiculous behavior. This week, in an effort dubbed “Stop
Government Abuse Week,” the House of Representatives is advancing a bipartisan
package of ten common-sense bills, each focused on restoring accountability,
loosening the grip of the bureaucracy and putting power back in the hands of
individual Americans.
Two of my own bills will be voted on as
a part of the effort to stop government abuse. First, the Stop Playing on Citizen’s Cash Act--better known as the SPOCC
Act--takes direct aim at the expensive junkets and ridiculous Star Trek-themed
videos that have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. My bill halts IRS
conference spending until a list of real fixes are made in agency management. Additionally, my Taxpayer Bill of Rights bill
will ensure IRS officials know and abide by a common-sense code of conduct when
interacting with taxpayers, such as the right for taxpayers to be informed,
assisted, heard, and for their information to be kept confidential. On the heels of shocking allegations of
IRS officials targeting individuals based on their political or religious
beliefs, it is time to put real checks on this out of control agency.
Currently, the IRS is on deck to play a
lead role in enforcing nearly 50 different aspects of the president’s health
care law. Not only will the IRS collect
new Obamacare taxes, the agency will be expanding its powers outside of typical
IRS functions, from enforcing penalties on individuals, approving health care
plans and maintaining a database of personal health information from millions
of Americans. The Keep the IRS Off Your
Healthcare Act will also be considered by the House and will shut this troubled
agency out of implementing the healthcare law and out of your personal health
care choices. With its already long track record of abuse, taking the IRS out
of Obamacare implementation and your personal healthcare decisions is a no
brainer.
Federal agencies have the ability to
regulate matters both large and small and there are few American’s whose lives
aren’t in some way impacted by this new, bigger government. The increasing size and role of the bureaucracy
leaves the door open to a runaway government, rife with waste and abuse. Congress must step in to ensure
accountability and reinforce the rights of individuals and taxpayers. This week’s Stop Government Abuse effort is
an important first step in tipping the balance of power back to the people with
another round of legislation set for the fall. We need a government that is responsive to taxpayers, not a government
that hurts the very people it is supposed to serve.