-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 From: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_11_14.php#004074 : This weekend Congress was working on a massive $388 billion omnibus spending bill that will cover all manner of federal spending. But at the request of Rep. Ernest Istook of Oklahoma, chairman of the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, a special provision was inserted into the bill which allows the Chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees or their "agents" to review any American's tax return with no restrictions whatsoever. Specifically, none of the privacy law restrictions -- or the criminal and civil penalties tied to them -- would apply when the Chair or anybody he or she designates as his or her "agent" looked at your tax return. The exact language of the provision is as follows ... "Hereinafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein." The provision was slipped into the bill at the last moment. And, at least on the Democratic side, no one was told about it until some Dems caught it at the last moment. Senate Republicans quickly backtracked, calling the provision a mistake or snafu and insisting they knew nothing about it. You can see some of the back-and-forth that took place on the Senate floor in this AP piece at CNN. Sen. Stevens of Alaska, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, originally blamed the provision on a 'staffer'. But later, according to the AP, Sen. Frist and "congressional aides" said it was inserted at the behest of Rep. Istook. - -- Neil Johnson http://www.njohnsn.com GPG key ID: F16D6484A GPG key Finger Print: DD84 677A D3C4 9A84 37B8 7AD7 8A8A A5AB F16D 648A -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.3 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFBoVviioqlq/FtZIoRAtVKAKCHNSqLq6iyD1bXqL/SwLOvyCVFmACfXasq wD5BZ+ue5MNgULWBoKLCnBQ= =Cs2Y -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----