Honoring our Fallen Soldiers
Happy Memorial Day weekend! On this important holiday, we honor the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedoms we hold dear. My family and I offer a heartfelt thank you to every member of the military in the 11th District and throughout our nation who put service before self to protect the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Holding the IRS Accountable
To watch a video clip of my questioning, click here.
On Wednesday, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups.
I questioned Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George about the timeline of his investigation, as well as the people involved. When answering my questions, George confirmed that he met with top officials at the IRS and the Department of the Treasury as far back as May 2012. He even met with Treasury General Counsel Chris Meade on June 4, 2012, only days after learning about the targeting allegations. If all of this was going on nearly a year ago, why is it just now coming to light?
Although IRS senior official Lois Lerner chose to plead the Fifth in this hearing, she remains under subpoena. The Committee is looking at recalling her for testimony. Chairman Issa did not adjourn the hearing – he put it into recess – to ensure that Ms. Lerner could be recalled.
In my line of questioning, I also asked why Lerner’s subordinate, Holly Paz, sat in on 36 of 41 interviews with IRS employees during George’s audit. The Inspector General had no answer. With each testimony, it is becoming more clear that this targeting by the IRS goes far beyond simple incompetence by a few employees. Along with my colleagues on the Committee, I am committed to finding the real story in this inexcusable political stunt. We will schedule more hearings and call more witnesses until we have uncovered the truth for the American people.
Performance-Based Pay in Government
Strengthening the link between federal worker pay and performance is an essential step in addressing Washington’s spending problem. I introduced the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)Personnel Flexibilities Act of 2013 this week, which makes permanent a performance-based compensation system that will serve as a model to other federal agencies.
Multiple evaluations have determined that TTB's performance-based compensation system meets its stated objectives to increase the quality of new hires, better retain high performers, improve both individual and organizational performance, and support management objectives. Congress granted the Treasury Department the authority to establish a three-year program in 1998 and continued to renew it in subsequent years. The program's authority expired on October 20, 2012, but President Obama's budget no longer supports its extension. Instead, the budget states the Administration would “allow” TTB to petition OPM for authorization of a new project.
Rewarding employees for their achievements establishes a culture of success. To protect hardworking taxpayers’ money and create accountability, we need pay-for-performance systems in our government. I look forward to bringing this bill to the House floor soon to make TTB's system permanent and push other federal agencies to adopt similar standards.
