WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) spoke out on the House floor to draw attention to political targeting by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an agency that is supposed to be non-political. During the 2010 campaign season, IRS agents gave extra scrutiny to 298 conservative groups based on their political persuasions, subverting these Americans’ First Amendment rights.

Congressman Huelskamp’s speech can be viewed here.

Huelskamp has taken legislative action fight the kind of political targeting Lois Lerner and her assistants conducted, cosponsoring H.R. 709, the Prevent Targeting at the IRS Act, which would rein in Internal Revenue Service abuses.

Huelskamp: “[…] A government of the people cannot always be trusted to do right by the people, and thus must hold itself in check for the sake of the people. The targeted discrimination and unfair treatment of conservative organizations with the words “Tea Party” in their names that took place at the Internal Revenue Service under the direction of Lois Learner shows what happens when government no longer feels accountable to the people and when the Constitution becomes a list of suggestions. Agencies can then become a political weapon for one party to use against the other. This bill will add targeting taxpayers for political purposes to the list of ten things that can get you fired as an employee of the IRS.”