HR0359 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0359 LRB098 12126 MST 46001 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The federal Income Tax Code requires, under penalty of law, that individual United States citizens and business firms incorporated in the United States reveal intimate information and details about their incomes, personal lives, and political opinions; and

WHEREAS, Since the enactment of the first federal income tax law in 1913, the Internal Revenue Service has promised individual autonomy and freedom from political harassment to Americans who comply with federal income tax law; and

WHEREAS, Recent news reports indicate that starting in 2010 personnel of the federal Internal Revenue Service, including high-ranking and supervisory personnel, acting in apparent defiance of federal law and the freedom and autonomy of individual Americans, have singled out American individuals and groups based upon their apparent political leanings; and

WHEREAS, These reports indicate that certain nonprofit groups have been singled out for denial or delay in recognition of their nonprofit standing based upon these groups use of identification words favored by political conservatives, including "Tea Party", "patriot", and "9/12"; and

WHEREAS, The policy represented by this reported conduct constitutes an attempt to chill the speech of political opponents and silence actual and potential political dissent, in defiance of the fundamental rights enjoyed by the American people; and

WHEREAS, We commend the work of the United States Congress in investigating the threat to the fundamental liberties of Americans represented by this alleged conduct, and demand that these reports be investigated as promptly and thoroughly as possible; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the White House, the Office of the United States Secretary of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service to comply with all requests related to Congressional inquiries without any delay, including making available all IRS employees involved in designing and implementing these prohibited political screenings; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury, the acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, and each member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.