Newsletter: House Set to Take Up Tax Legislation; SevenDays: Make a Ripple, Change the World; Donate Life Month

Statement

House to Take Up Tax Legislation

As Tax Day approaches on Wednesday, the House is set to pass a number of bills this week that will aim to lighten the tax burden on Americans, rein in the Internal Revenue Service, and reform our tax code.

Last year, the federal government took in more money in tax revenues than ever before while Americans continue to feel crunched in their take-home pay and economic opportunities. Absent repeal, taxes will continue to go up as a result of Obamacare implementation in the years to come.

Add that to a broken IRS, and it's clearly time for meaningful reform. Here are two of the many important bills we are voting on this week:

Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act

Requires the IRS to ensure that its employees are familiar with, and act in accordance with, taxpayer rights. Those rights include the right to be informed, to be assisted, to be heard, to pay no more than the correct amount of tax, to an appeal, to certainty, to privacy, to confidentiality, to representation, and to a fair and just tax system.

Prevent Targeting at the IRS Act

Expands existing grounds for termination of the employment of an IRS employee to include performing, delaying, or failing to perform any official action, including an audit, with respect to a taxpayer for purpose of extracting personal gain or benefit or for a political purpose.

These bills are good first steps, but we need long-term reform that makes the tax code flatter and fairer. One possible alternative is HR 25 - The Fair Tax, of which I am a cosponsor. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we work to achieve the right reforms that will let Americans keep more of their hard earn money.

SevenDays: Make a Ripple, Change the World

Today, we honor the memory of three people who were victims of a horrific shooting that took place in Overland Park one year ago. On April 13, 2014, the lives of Reat Underwood, William Corporon, and Terri Lamanno were tragically cut short.

Mindy Corporon lost both her father, William, and her fourteen-year-old son, Reat, that day. Many people would understandably fall into despair. But amazingly, Mindy has used this tragedy to promote love, faith, kindness, and remembrance.

Partnering with two non-profit organizations, Mindy and other family members of the victims have organized a weeklong series of events entitled SevenDays: Make a Ripple, Change the World ending with a peace walk at the Jewish Community Center. This week of remembrance aims to promote understanding and encourage kindness within the community to overcome the senseless act of hate that occurred one year ago.

I hope we can all learn from this example of turning hate into a week of hope and kindness.

Appropriations Subcommittee Vice Chairs Announced

I'm excited for the opportunity to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee during the 114th Congress. Transportation is critical to our local economy and I will be a strong voice for Kansans as they travel by air, rail, or road. I also look forward to improving the federal housing programs that serve our communities in the Third District and throughout the state.

This new assignment gives me the chance to closely oversee the two cabinet-level agencies impacting these sectors, root out wasteful spending, and eliminate fraud and abuse in these government programs. For reference, the 2015 Omnibus spending package contained $53.8 billion - $17.8 billion for Transportation and $35.6 billion for Housing and Urban Development - in discretionary funding for the two departments. I remain committed to investing these federal dollars wisely so that essential programs can remain viable for those who need them.

I look forward to working closely with Chairman Diaz-Balart and the other Subcommittee Members to ensure that the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development are operating in the most efficient and effective manner.

Letter to USDA Inspector General

Last week, I sent a follow-up letter to Inspector General Phyllis Fong of the Department of Agriculture regarding the unusually high default rate on the department's Broadband Loan Program. Last month, during an Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing I asked USDA officials about the 116 percent default rate listed for the program in the White House budget, featured in this article from POLITICO.

The program has played a vital role in addressing the needs of rural communities in Kansas and throughout the rest of the country, which is why we must ensure that it remains viable. I am hopeful that Inspector General Fong will provide my office with clarifications on how the default rate is so high and potential steps that can be taken to ensure the default rate is closer to the private sector average of 3 percent.

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