ADVISORY
FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

Subcommittee on Oversight

Houghton Announces Hearing on IRS Performance Under
Commissioner Rossotti and the Future Needs of the IRS

Congressman Amo Houghton (R-NY), Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing to review and discuss the performance of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under Commissioner Rossotti, and the challenges it faces in the future.  The IRS Commissioner’s term ends on November 12, 2002.  The hearing will take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2002, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office building, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only.  The Commissioner of the IRS will be the sole invited witness.  However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

The hearing will examine the changes the IRS has undergone during the 5 years of Commissioner Rossotti’s tenure and the challenges it faces in the future.  Specifically, the hearing will review the IRS restructuring, the modernization of IRS computer systems, and the re-alignment of the IRS’s mission towards customer service.  The hearing will consider the challenges facing the incoming IRS Commissioner, the agency’s objectives during the next 5 years, and its budgetary needs.  The need for legislative reforms to improve IRS employee morale and tax administration will also be explored.

In announcing the hearing Chairman Houghton said, “Commissioner Rossotti has guided the IRS through a period of great change.  We hope that the next Commissioner will be as skilled.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The hearing will focus on Commissioner Rossotti’s accomplishments and on challenges facing the IRS.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Please Note:  Due to the change in House mail policy, any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should send it electronically to hearingclerks.waysandmeans@mail.house.gov, along with a fax copy to (202) 225-2610, by the close of business, Tuesday, October 15, 2002.  Those filing written statements who wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing should deliver their 200 copies to the Subcommittee on Oversight in room 1136 Longworth House Office Building, in an open and searchable package 48 hours before the hearing.  The U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-packaged deliveries to all House Office Buildings.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below.  Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1.  Due to the change in House mail policy, all statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted electronically to, hearingclerks.waysandmeans@mail.house.gov, along with a fax copy to (202) 225-2610, in Word Perfect or MS Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments.  Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2.  Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing.  Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased.  All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

3.  Any statements must include a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.  A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers of each witness.

Note:  All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://waysandmeans.house.gov.