[Ken H]

The hang-up is because of a single line in the bill that would have given two committee chairmen and their assistants access to people's income tax returns.

So if Mrs. Clinton gets the committee chairmanship, she and her aides would have such power.

Istook, chairman of the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee, said in a statement Sunday that the Internal Revenue Service drafted the language, which would not have allowed any inspections of tax returns.

Huh? Then why are we having this discussion?

"Nobody's privacy was ever jeopardized," the statement said.

That is certainly true but only because the provision got axed, correct?

[edfrank_1998]

"Huh? Then why are we having this discussion?"

I've been wandering around in the Library of Congress website (Thomas) in hopes of finding this amendment to see what it really says. So far...no luck. I've also been unable to find this statement of Istook (released today) that said the IRS drafted it.

I'd like to read the source documents before coming to a conclusion about this. I think that would answer your question one way or another.