WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed with bipartisan support H.R. 3865, the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2014. The bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from finalizing proposed 501(c)(4) regulations for one year, keeping in effect regulations that were in place before January 1, 2010. Congresswoman Jenkins (KS-02) released the following statement in support of this bill:

“When I first learned the IRS was targeting individuals based on their political beliefs, I was shocked and outraged. After months of hearings and investigations, the House has uncovered numerous examples of what appears to be a concerted effort by the IRS to single-out conservative groups and plot new regulations on the very same organizations they are under investigation for targeting.

“Our nation was founded on the freedom of speech and any effort to hinder grass-roots advocacy by the IRS must be stopped. Today’s vote would put the IRSs’ proposed regulations on hold until our investigation is complete. At the heart of this investigation, is a government agency that is too big and believes they are accountable to no one. The House is committed to providing aggressive oversight and protecting the American people from a government run amuck, where people are free to participate and engage in civic debate without fear of retribution.”

Click Here To Watch Congresswoman Jenkins Floor Remarks

Please Note:  The Ways and Means Committee has been investigating the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups for nearly two years. The investigation is still underway. The Committee has uncovered that Tea Party applications were flagged due to “media attention” as early as February 2010 at Washington, D.C.’s direction. The Treasury Inspector General for Taxpayer Administration’s (TIGTA) found that IRS targeting of conservative groups began in 2010 and confirms that “the IRS used inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status.”

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