Protecting Taxpayers from IRS Targeting

Last week, I joined Senator Ted Cruz to introduce legislation that would amend the tax code so that the IRS no longer creates its own definitions to determine whether an organization is engaging in political activity. H.R. 4593 and S.2067 address a proposed rule by the IRS that would redefine public service activities by civic organizations as political campaign intervention. Nonpartisan groups would lose their tax-exempt status if they engaged in educational activities like hosting candidate debates. However, the IRS would allow those activities for unions and non-profit charities. This new definition violates our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

Our bills would provide clear rules based on guidance from the bipartisan, independent Federal Election Commission (FEC).

The FEC has been providing straight-forward guidance on political activity for years. Relying on their definitions is common sense, and it removes the IRS and the potential for political targeting from the process. Senator Cruz and I agree that we must do everything in our power to prevent the IRS from trampling on our First Amendment rights. We’ll keep up this fight on your behalf.