Senate Democrats today blocked Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) resolution condemning the IRS and advocating an investigation reaching deep into the Obama administration.
“The president has deemed this inexcusable, yet actions speak louder than words. It is time for President Obama and his Administration to act and it is our duty as Americans to hold them accountable,” he added.
The resolution finds that “the Internal Revenue Service engaged in discriminatory behavior” and calls for an independent authority to investigate “and, if applicable, seek criminal charges against any individuals who authorized or were involved in targeting people of the United States based on their political views.”
“This resolution is not about Republican vs. Democrat or conservative vs. liberal. It is about arrogant and unrestrained government vs. the rule of law. The First Amendment cannot and should not be renegotiated depending on which party holds power,” Paul said after Democrats placed the hold.
“Each senator took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, yet Senate Democrats chose to block my resolution and thus refused to condemn the IRS for trampling on our First Amendment rights. I am incredibly disappointed in Washington’s party politics and I am determined to hold the IRS accountable for these unjust acts.”
Other bills introduced in reaction to the IRS scandal this week are the Taxpayer Nondiscrimination & Protection Act of 2013, a bill introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) that would add criminal penalties for IRS employees who target political organizations, and the Project Against Ideology-Based Targeting Act, introduced by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), that would prohibit the IRS from targeting organizations based on ideology.
“Having run a 501(c)(3) organization, I recognize the danger with this kind of targeting by the IRS. We cannot allow it to continue, regardless of the political party in power. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior from our government,” said Flake.
“It’s sad that this legislation is even necessary,” the Arizona senator added. “But as we learn more and ensure those involved are held accountable for this wrongdoing, this bill will prohibit additional targeting from occurring in the future.”
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