The measure would make it a crime to “willfully act with the intent to injure, oppress, threaten, intimidate, or single out” individuals or groups based on their political views or the views they have published.
Posted on 01/29/2015 5:49:45 PM PST by smoothsailing
January 28, 2015
Editorial Staff
Ted Cruz wants IRS employees guilty of targeting to be the ones forking over their money, this time — at least.
The Texas senator announced legislation this week to punish the type of alleged singling out of tea party groups under ex-official Lois Lerner with a fine, jail time, or both. And the prison sentence could be hefty — up to 10 years. Cruz quoted President Obama’s own words back to him in making the case that it was about time.
“In May 2013 President Obama declared the IRS’s illegal targeting of conservative groups ‘intolerable and inexcusable,’ yet to this date no one has been held accountable for it, Cruz said in a statement. “The IRS has no business meddling with the First Amendment rights of Americans.”
The measure would make it a crime to “willfully act with the intent to injure, oppress, threaten, intimidate, or single out” individuals or groups based on their political views or the views they have published. Cruz tried and failed to push a similar proposal last year, when Democrats controlled the Senate.
The House Ways and Means Committee is moving forward with its own approach to the IRS targeting issue, drafting legislation to prohibit the agency from changing the way it evaluates organizations applying for tax-exempt status as not-for-profits promoting “social welfare.” The “Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act” would require the IRS to adhere to the same standards it used to weigh applications before its period of targeting began.
“Everyone deserves a fair standard fairly applied,” Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said in a statement. “And for too long, the IRS has targeted people because of their political beliefs. This bill will send a clear message: We won’t tolerate the agency’s shenanigans.”
The measure is sponsored by Rep. Pete Roskam in the House, and its counterpart in the Senate is under the sponsorship of Sens. Jeff Flake and Pat Roberts.
“I’d put the IRS’s ability to preserve free speech on par with its ability to preserve emails,” Flake quipped in a statement about the legislation.
The bills come as the Senate began consideration Wednesday of the president’s Attorney General nominee, Loretta Lynch. Lynch dodged a question before a Senate panel about the IRS scandal, offering her commitment to preserving government neutrality, but declining to speak further because her lack of familiarity with the case.
It’s a start. God Bless Ted Cruz!
No ex post facto laws - it’s right there in the Constitution.
No new laws needed. Enforce existing law.
And throw away the key (or charge them for the bullet).
Just abolish the IRS.
Its always gonna devolve into the Cheka.
The Democrats will have a fit when it gets to the Senate floor for debate. LOL!
Go Ted!!!
Ted Cruz has true grit.
we have existing laws that nobody uses.
even if passed it will not be used except against those the admin disapproves of.
nice gesture but again, will go nowhere.
doesn’t matter if it gets passed if nobody will use it. issa didn’t do sh1t. kabuki.
Defund and Abolish.
I’m for doubling the penalty to any public employee, including police, for breaking the law!!!
May I please see your crystal ball, please, please? I know it gave you the correct answers which, I agree, are correct but I want to be able to predict other things.
Ted continues to go on the Offense.
So, whatever happened with Issa and his getting hood-winked by Lerner???
Slash their funding too. (Beneficial side effect: insufficient resources to enforce teh so-called “tax” under Obamacare.)
Maybe he ran off with the gypsies and joined the circus. B^)
You are right, the IRS has too much power. Obama has proven that no wannabe tyrant can resist using it. It needs to be abolished as does our overly complicated income tax system.
If it isn’t retroactive it’s NOT a start; it’s a ruse.
Shenanigans? How cute, Paulie, but this rises past the level of shenanigans. And if we have an AG that refuses to enforce the law, how will this bill matter?
Refund and abolish.
Lol, make that Defund and Abolish.
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