Aaron Schock RSS Articles

Chicago Tribune: Keeping a watchful eye on IRS

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

By: Dennis Byrne, May 21, 2013, Chicago Tribune

The popular impression is that President Barack Obama's Internal Revenue Service harassed only tea party and patriot-like groups seeking tax-exempt status.
If it were only so.

Allegations of IRS harassment of pro-life and religious groups reach as far back as Obama's early administration and extend beyond the agency's Cincinnati office, which is the focus of the alleged intimidation of patriot groups.

The charges of broader religious and political bias have been made for four years by the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based, public interest law firm specializing in issues of life, marriage and religious liberty. On Friday, the group outlined the attacks against three pro-life groups in a 151-page memo to U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill. It said:

• The IRS office in El Monte, Calif., began harassing Christian Voices for Life of Sugar Land, Texas, when it sought tax-free status under provision 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. The IRS held up the group's application while asking such "inappropriate" questions under the code as whether the group advocates a particular position or holds up signs. It also demanded an explanation of the content of its message and prayers, as if the group "were engaging in highly offensive or criminal behavior."

• Coalition for Life of Iowa applied for tax-exempt status in October 2008, before Obama's inauguration. But it was followed by almost 10 months of interrogation about the group's opposition to Planned Parenthood. The IRS Cincinnati's office demanded a sworn declaration not to picket or protest Planned Parenthood. It also requested detailed information about the "content of the group's prayer meetings, educational seminars, and signs their members hold outside Planned Parenthood."

• Finally, an IRS agent in its Chicago office "repeatedly harassed Daniel and Angela Michael of Small Victories, a pro-life organization, with an intrusive investigation, calling the leaders every two to three weeks over the course of 2011, beginning in January of that year. The IRS officially closed its investigation in January 2012, having found no illegal activities."

The Religion News Service reports these additional attacks:

• Catholics United Education Fund, an affiliate of the progressive Catholics United, which had an application that it said had "languished for years" before being approved.

• Family Talk Action, the advocacy arm of James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization, which said its application for 501(c)(4) status was delayed and questioned between 2011 and 2013.

• Z Street, a conservative Jewish organization has a federal court hearing on July 2 after suing the IRS for viewpoint discrimination.

Schock pressed acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller at Friday's House Ways and Means Committee whether it was appropriate for the agency to ask: "'Please detail the content of the members of your organization's prayers.' Would that be an appropriate question to a 501(c)(3) applicant? The content of one's prayers?"

Miller: "Speaking outside of this case, which I don't know anything about, it would surprise me that that question was asked."

Schock followed it up: "And finally during another applicant's conversation or back and forth they were asked specifically, 'Please detail certain signs that may or may not be held up outside of a Planned Parenthood facility.' Would that be an appropriate follow up to an applicant for 501(c)(3) application?" Miller responded that he did not know the context but that it did not "sound like the usual question."

The government asking what our religious beliefs are, or asking what and when we are going to protest are just a few of the constitutional and civil rights violations that occurred during the president's administration.

So was it a coincidence that rogue IRS agents just happened to target the president's so-called enemies during his term? Or were they instructed to do so by "midlevel managers?" Senior IRS managers knew of the complaints a couple of years ago; did they neglect to tell their senior Treasury officials who just happened to neglect to inform the president? The choices are not good.

But since tax-exempt organizations are coming under scrutiny, perhaps it's time for a closer look at how outfits like Planned Parenthood of Illinois, a 501(c)(3) organization, can get away helping to raise money for its political action arm, Planned Parenthood Political Action, a 501(c)(4) group.

So, how interesting is this: Planned Parenthood of Illinois' website reveals that it took a mere three months in 2008 for the IRS to approve its tax-exempt status.

More to come. Definitely.

Dennis Byrne, a Chicago writer, blogs in The Barbershop on chicagonow.com. dennis@dennisbyrne.net

Schock’s Persistence about IRS Interactions with Pro-Life Organizations Raises New Questions

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – On Friday, May 17, 2013, during the House Ways and Means hearing regarding the ongoing IRS scandal involving the targeting of conservative learning organizations, Congressman Schock questioned acting IRS commissioner Steven Miller about reports indicating pro-life organizations have also received unfair extra scrutiny by the IRS. During the hearing, Schock offered examples of IRS officials targeting of pro-life groups from around the country.

House Ways and Means Committee Hearing
Friday, May 17, 2013
(Click to Watch)

CBS Evening News: Congressman Aaron Schock sat down with CBS Evening News to discuss the recent House Ways and Means hearing into the IRS's targeting of conservative leaning organizations. Watch the clip.

FOX News: IRS Reportedly Grilled Pro-Life Group about the 'Content of Their Prayers":During his grilling of outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., made reference to a report by the Thomas More Society -- a national public interest law firm for religious liberty -- which details the possible targeting of the Coalition for Life of Iowa. Read More.

The Hill: Complaints of IRS Targeting By Religious Groups on the Rise: At a House hearing investigating the IRS abuses on Friday, Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) called attention to The Coalition for Life of Iowa’s complaint, citing one particular question that the group was asked by the agency. Read more.

Yahoo News: IRS to Conservative Group in 2009: What Do Your Members Pray About?: While applying with the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status in 2009, an Iowa-based anti-abortion group was asked to provide information about its members' prayer meetings, show documents sent by an IRS official to the organization. Read more.

Washington Examiner: GOP. Rep. Aaron Schock: IRS Asked about Content of Pro-Life Groups Prayers: During hearings before the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., asked outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller if it was appropriate for the IRS to demand the content of a pro-life group's prayers, the Washington Examiner reported. Read more.

The Daily Caller: IRS Commissioner Stonewalls on Prying into Pro-Life Groups's Prayers: Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock pushed Miller for answers about some of the pro-life organizations the IRS reportedly targeted when the groups sought tax-exempt status. The Thomas More Society law firm has alleged that the federal tax collector pressed these organizations to reveal the content of their prayers. Read more.

CBN News: Lawmaker: IRS Probed Prayers of Pro-Life Group: In addition, the Coalition was asked by the IRS about the content of its prayers. During a hearing Friday in the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., asked outgoing IRS Commissioner Steven Miller whether he thought that was proper. Read more.

AM 560 WIND: Aaron Schock Discusses IRS Hearing on the Big John & Amy Show: Rep. Aaron Schock from the 18th Congressional District joined John and Amy to talk about the investigation into allegations that the IRS targeted groups that opposed President Obama. Click to listen.

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Schock Questions Acting IRS Commissioner Miller During Congressional Hearing

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) participated in the first congressional hearing into the ongoing IRS scandal in which conservative leaning organizations were targeted for extra scrutiny for years.

(Click to Watch)

Background Information
Press Release: Schock Statement on Resignation of Acting IRS Commissioner
Press Release: Schock Statement on Latest Developments of the IRS Scandal

Schock Sends Letter in Support of Expanding Flood Disaster Declaration

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) sent a letter to President Barack Obama in support of Governor Pat Quinn’s most recent request for a disaster declaration in 16 counties to help Illinois families and businesses affected by the current flood conditions and the aftermath of those floods.

The counties included in this request are: Bureau, Crawford, Henderson, Knox, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, Warren and Woodford. The counties in bold are part of the 18th Congressional district.

Schock notes in his letter to President Obama that due to the extent of the flooding, he anticipates the need, and will support requests, for additional flood stricken counties as the full damage from the floods is realized. Currently, preliminary damage assessments are still underway in some counties. Additionally, public assistance Federal disaster declarations are still being considered.

For a copy of the letter Congressman Schock sent to President Obama, click here.

Schock Statement on Resignation of Acting IRS Commissioner

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) issued the following statement after President Obama announced this evening that the acting IRS Commissioner, Steven Miller, has resigned in the wake of the ongoing IRS scandal in which conservative leaning organizations were targeted for extra scrutiny for years.

“President Obama’s announcement that acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller has resigned is the very first step in fixing the many wrongs that have occurred by IRS employees for years. In fact, this should not be the only IRS resignation announced this week as we continue to learn that the scope of involvement is much wider than first reported by IRS officials last week. What was done was not only inappropriate, but it was illegal, and those responsible must pay a criminal price for their actions.

“On Friday, I look forward to investigating further the reasons why IRS officials willfully misled the Ways and Means committee, and allowed the conduct of targeting conservative leaning organizations to go on uninterrupted for years. The depth of how far the IRS went to targeting groups in this country seems to have no end as more information becomes available.

“Make no mistake, the announcement by President Obama tonight is a long way from ensuring the public’s trust of the IRS has been restored.”

Background Information
On Tuesday, Congressman Schock swiftly called for the resignation of acting Commissioner Steven Miller in the wake of the ongoing IRS scandal. As a member of the House Ways and Means committee, Schock will participate in the first hearing with IRS officials this Friday.

Schock Statement on Latest Developments of the IRS Scandal

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) issued the following statements as developments continue to unfold in the growing IRS Scandal that conservative leaning organizations were targeted for extra scrutiny.

“On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made the alarming announcement that it had specifically targeted conservative leaning organizations for extra scrutiny based on phrases such as ‘tea party’ and ‘patriot’; a practice IRS staff had allegedly begun engaging in as early as 2010.

“The news of this announcement is a monumental breach of priceless public trust that cannot go unanswered.

“As a member of the House Ways and Means committee, we have oversight over tax policy, which includes the activities of the IRS. This Friday, May 17th, the committee will hold a hearing to begin an aggressive investigation into the depths of this matter to determine who was involved, why the IRS only now went public, if indeed all the facts have been revealed, and how this was allowed to occur for so long, among the dozens of other questions that must be answered.

“Beginning in 2011, my committee began looking into reports of improper IRS behavior. In an effort to verify if any of the reports were credible, the committee sent several letters asking the IRS to respond to the allegations of targeting specific types of groups. In the responses the committee received, no indication was ever given that such abuses of power had occurred; however, we have since learned that the IRS was not forthright in the responses they sent to the House Ways and Means committee, and reports are now indicating that high-level IRS officials - not just low-level staffers in the Cincinnati office - knew about the targeting even as they were corresponding with the committee.

“As the evidence mounts there is one clear step that must be taken. The acting commissioner, Steven Miller, must resign. Either the top officials at the IRS are completely naïve with the information they have provided the committee or there is a serious dereliction of duty that has allowed these abuses to occur for years.

“The only way to have a clean break from the IRS leadership that has mishandled this scandal and has a stake in continuing to minimize the facts is for new leadership from the outside to come in and clean house of the mentality that allowed this breach of trust to occur.

“The IRS’ stellar reputation of being above partisan politics has been shattered by these revelations and these revelations now seem to be far from complete. The damage to the public’s confidence in the federal government will take decades to repair.

“It is the constitutional duty of the Congress to exercise thorough oversight of the IRS and get to the bottom of this scandal, bringing every fact to light. Then new safeguards need to be put in place to ensure this type of outrageous breach of public trust cannot happen again. America’s tax collecting agency simply cannot be polluted by partisan politics and the penalties for doing so need to be severe.

“With my strong support, the Ways and Means Committee’s hearing on Friday will be a major step toward getting the entire truth as Congress puts the IRS on a much shorter leash.”

Background information regarding IRS testimony citing that the IRS was not targeting conservative organizations
On March 22, 2012, the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on the tax return filing season and general IRS operations. Chairman Boustany asks then-IRS Commissioner Shulman about reports that the IRS has been targeting Tea Party groups. Shulman responds, “I can give you assurances…[t]here is absolutely no targeting.”

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Schock Statement on Release of Joint Committee on Taxation Tax Reform Working Group Report

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL), a member of the House Ways and Means Financial Services Working Group, issued the following statement regarding the release of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) report on the Ways and Means Committee Tax Reform Working Groups.

“For over two years the committee has been engaged in a full review of the current tax system. Today’s release of the JCT report is another step toward the completion of comprehensive tax reform this Congress, which will result in a fairer tax code and lower rates for all. As the code stands now, the system is too costly, too complex and too time consuming for individuals and employers. Reforming the tax code is a commonsense and essential part of growing the economy and providing the environment job creators need to have the confidence and certainty to expand their businesses and hire new employees.”

Background on Schock’s Efforts to Advocate for Comprehensive Tax Reform
Schock has been an active participant and advocate for the need for comprehensive tax reform to simplify the tax code and ensure a fairer system that doesn’t penalize hard work, provides additional middle-class tax relief, streamlines the code for small businesses, and promotes economic growth. In February, Schock was named to the Ways and Means Financial Services Working group, a subgroup tasked with developing a portion of the committee’s overall tax reform package. In the last two years, the Ways and Means committee has held more than 20 hearings focused on comprehensive tax reform.

Tax reform necessary for economic prosperity | Small Business Tax Reform Discussion Draft | Schock Named to Ways & Means Financial Services Working Group | Schock Advocates for Tax Reform on House Floor | In the Spotlight: Extend tax cuts, then restructure the tax code | Schock Continues Work Toward Comprehensive Tax Reform | There are 3.8 million reasons why tax reform is badly needed | Aaron Schock on need for Comprehensive Tax Reform

Schock Votes to Give FAA Additional Flexibility to Prevent Furloughs and Tower Closures

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) issued the following statement today after the House passed legislation to provide the Federal Aviation Administration with additional authority to prevent air traffic controller furloughs and anticipated tower closures. The air traffic control tower at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Illinois is currently slated to close on June 15 because of President Obama’s sequestration orders.

“Today, the House acted again to lift the burdens placed on the American people by President Obama’s sequestration orders. There is no mistaking that politics were at play with how the Administration and FAA chose not to plan accordingly for sequestration, which they knew was going to occur for over a year and a half. Instead, the Administration decided to implement the president’s sequestration cuts in the most painful way possible, which through today has included flight delays and the notification of air control tower closures.

"I am pleased that today we have been able to stop the impending closure of the Bloomington air tower and all the unecessary flight delays. The Obama Administration wanted to bring real pain to mass numbers of Americans in order to further divide the country. In fact, the sequester merely cut 2 cents out of every dollar spent by the government. This whole shameful saga of needless flight delays and cancelations were concocted by the Obama Administration. It was a callous, but failed strategy of forcing Republicans to bend to the President's incessant demands for more tax increases to finance a bloated government he refuses to cut at all.”

Background
President Obama's administration originally proposed sequestration and insisted it be part of the 2011 debt-limit deal. As part of the negotiations the White House suggested that if the Supercommittee could not find $1.2 trillion in savings, Sequestration would begin January 2013 with roughly $112 billion in cuts per year for the next 10 years equally split between Defense and Discretionary programs. Sequestration began Friday, March 1, 2013.

House Republicans voted twice to replace the sequester with responsible spending cuts; however, the Senate and President failed to follow the actions of the House and that is exactly why this legislative action was required today.

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CDC needs balance

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

By: Rep. Aaron Schock
Politico

Living with the realities of sequestration and budget-tightening has meant that most federal agencies have to do more with less. Many are paring initiatives down or cutting them entirely to save precious resources for programs that truly make a difference. Yet one government agency is using hundreds of millions of dollars to attack American job creators and Americans’ freedom of choice.

Following the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as the stimulus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was allocated taxpayer dollars to award grants for wellness efforts — on its face, a worthy effort. However, these taxpayer funds are being used to run ads attacking and singling out legal American products and industries; attacks that will slow job growth and cost our communities jobs. When the stimulus well runs dry, this practice could continue through various streams of funding identified in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Already, the CDC has awarded $650 million of grants to states and communities through a program called the Prevention and Public Health Fund. In many cases, the grant recipients have used these federal dollars to run advertisements against “sugary products” or other food and beverages that they believe have an adverse impact on the health of American citizens, regardless of the quantity consumed. We are talking about hundreds of millions of tax dollars that are being used to discourage the consumption of lawfully marketed American-made products.

Using taxpayer dollars to attack the beverage and food industry might seem like a good idea to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but it’s this exact type of harmful government spending that we can ill afford and serves no purpose in the overall wellness debate — other than to be critical of domestic companies that employ thousands of hardworking Americans.

When a company like Hostess — which employed hundreds of employees in my congressional district — dedicates millions of dollars to market its products, it shouldn’t have to worry about the company’s tax dollars being used against it to dissuade the public from buying its products. In fact, the brand damage that occurs from these government-funded attack ads results in businesses having to dedicate even more resources toward marketing — money that could otherwise be used to give pay raises to their employees or reinvest and grow their business.

In fact, the American Beverage Association has voluntarily taken on initiatives to help combat childhood obesity by removing full-calorie beverages from all schools and replacing them with lower-calorie options. This has led to an 88 percent reduction in beverage calories being shipped to schools. A better approach than telling Americans not to eat Twinkies at a time when the federal government is running trillion-dollar deficits would be to continue to educate American citizens about the importance of a balanced diet and the value of moderation.

I believe the CDC — which does great work on early detection and prevention of, and treatment for breast and cervical cancer, as well as work on immunizations, flu vaccines and a host of worthy efforts — simply should change its priority from singling out one product and attacking American job creators to focusing its efforts on a more comprehensive approach to combating obesity.

As a result, I have introduced the Stopping Taxpayer Outlays for Propaganda Act, the STOP Act, which will ban taxpayer dollars from funding such ads so the public can focus on meaningful steps to address obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle. This includes prohibiting the use of federal money for print, radio and television or any other media advertisement, campaign or form of publicity against the use of a food or beverage that is lawfully marketed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

I fully support and try to live a healthy life, myself, by making smart choices about what I eat and drink and by working out regularly. These are the types of behavior we should be promoting — not using our precious tax dollars to attack job creators in a time of sustained levels of high unemployment.

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.)
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/cdc-could-improve-pitch-with-balance-90220.html

Schock Tells Administration to STOP Advertising Against American Made Products

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) introduced legislation to prevent federal tax dollars from being used to advertise against American made products. The Stopping Taxpayer Outlays for Propaganda Act or the STOP Act, would specifically prohibit the use of Federal money for print, radio, television or any other media advertisement, campaign or form of publicity against the use of a food or beverage that is lawfully marketed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

“Businesses shouldn’t have to worry about their tax dollars being used against them to dissuade the public from buying their products,” said Schock. “Right now millions of taxpayer dollars are going toward government funded advertising efforts to actively compel Americans not to consume food or beverage’s that have been lawfully marketed under current law.”

Following the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Stimulus bill, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was allocated taxpayer dollars to award grants for wellness efforts. However, these taxpayer funds are being used to run ads attacking and singling out legal American products and industries; attacks that will slow job growth and cost our communities jobs. When the stimulus well runs dry, this practice could continue through various streams of funding identified in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare.

For example, Cook County, Illinois, received a $16 million federal grant for obesity prevention. Some of the grant money went towards the production of a document which outlines the benefits of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. One of Cook County’s current legislative priorities is a one center per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The document goes on to state that a “pricing increase of one penny per ounce on sugary beverages would reduce consumption by eight to 11 percent…In Illinois, a penny per ounce increase would result in raising $600 million per year.”

Montana is using their $769,000 CDC funds to run “Think About Your Drink” anti-soft drink and anti-energy drink print, radio and TV ads. In cities across the country the same type of activities are taking place. In Philadelphia, Seattle, and New York, they are all spending millions of taxpayer dollars on multimedia advertisement campaigns to attack American made beverages.

“I believe the CDC, which does great work on early detection, prevention, and treatment for breast and cervical cancer, on immunizations, flu vaccines, and a whole host of worthy efforts, simply should change their priority from singling out one product and attacking American job creators to focusing their efforts on a more comprehensive approach to combating obesity,” added Schock. “I fully support and try to live a healthy life myself by making smart choices about what I eat and drink and by working out regularly. These are the types of behavior we should be promoting, not using our precious tax dollars to attack job creators in a time of sustained levels of high unemployment.”

Note: To learn more about the STOP Act, see Congressman Schock’s op-ed in Politico.