Welcome to the Subcommittee on Oversight’s annual hearing on the Internal Revenue Service’s operations and budget.   Just last week, million of taxpayers across America scrambled to meet their tax filing obligations by April 15.  That was no easy feat.  Every year, taxpayers face a tax code of growing complexity.   Indeed, there have been nearly 5,000 changes… Read more

Good morning.  We are meeting today to consider H.R. 807, the “Full Faith and Credit Act,” introduced by Congressman McClintock earlier this year.  I will be offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute to ensure that the United States never defaults on a debt payment. In February of this year, the President signed into law H.R. 325, the “No Budget, No Pay Act,”… Read more

Welcome to the first in the Committee’s hearing series on the President’s and other bipartisan entitlement reform proposals. Americans deserve action to protect and preserve Social Security.    According to the Social Security Board of Trustees, beginning in 2033, Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits.  In other words, when today’s… Read more

Welcome to today’s hearing on the progress of reforms enacted last year designed to help more unemployed individuals, especially the long-term unemployed, get back to work. Reforms enacted in 2012 were aimed at connecting those in need with the resources necessary to succeed. Today, we will take a look at what the Administration and States are doing to implement these reforms.   As… Read more

Secretary Sebelius, thank you for joining us today for a discussion of the President’s 2014 Budget.   One of the top priorities for this Committee is to act now to save Medicare so that every generation of seniors can count on it.  So, I welcome the inclusion of some conceptual reforms to Medicare – including recognizing the urgent need for a permanent… Read more

Mr. Secretary, the last time you testified before this committee it was “Mr. Director.”  So, please allow me to do publicly what I’ve already done privately, and that is to congratulate you on your new post.  As you are well aware, this Committee has broad jurisdiction and interacts with many departments and agencies – none more important than the Treasury Department.  As… Read more

The Committee on Ways and Means has jurisdiction over federal government borrowing, as well as the Treasury Department’s debt management practices and the debt limit. The Founders vested the power to borrow money exclusively in the Legislative Branch. Since the Founders’ time, Congress has repeatedly exercised that power by authorizing the Executive Branch to borrow funds on the country’s… Read more

Good afternoon Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Velazquez and Members of the House Small Business Committee.  I’d like to take a moment to thank those small business owners who will appear on the next panel.  I won’t be able to stay for your testimony, but I thank you for taking time away from your businesses to be here today.  You have first-hand knowledge of just how… Read more

Good morning.  Fairness and consistency are essential to ensuring Americans’ confidence in Social Security’s disability insurance program.  Their importance has been consistently recognized since the disability program was created in 1956.   As we know, Social Security’s definition of who is disabled is a strict one.  Whether someone is disabled depends on medical… Read more

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us for the subcommittee’s first hearing of the 113th Congress.  I commend Chairman Camp for his continued efforts to overhaul the tax code and I look forward to working with him to enact comprehensive tax reform. Today we examine the financial products discussion draft released by Chairman Camp and the Ways & Means Committee in… Read more