Dave Camp RSS Articles

Camp Opening Statement: Ways and Means Full Committee Hearing on IRS Targeting Conservative Groups

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

On May 10, 2013, Lois Lerner, Director of Exempt Organizations for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) division that oversees tax-exempt groups, finally acknowledged that the agency had been targeting conservative-leaning political organizations.

Four days later, the Treasury Inspector General for Taxpayer Administration (TIGTA) confirmed that, “the IRS used inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status.” The report also confirmed that this abuse of power began as far back as 2010.

This revelation goes against the very principles of free speech and liberty upon which this country was founded. The blatant disregard with which the agency has treated Congress and the American taxpayer raises serious concerns about leadership at the IRS.

Let’s establish the facts that we do know. Based on the TIGTA report we know that for an 18-month period beginning in Spring 2010, IRS employees in the agency’s Determinations Unit employed keywords such as “tea party,” “patriot,” and “9/12” to target applicants for tax-exempt status. These groups were then subjected to further IRS investigation and document requests.

IRS employees later expanded their search to include groups concerned about government spending, debt, taxes, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or trying to “make America a better place to live.” Let me repeat that, people were targeted for trying to “make America a better place to live.”

These Americans had their applications delayed for nearly three years, and at least 98 applicants were asked for improper and inappropriate information such as donor lists and whether family members planned to run for public office.

During that delay, and while applications of conservative groups sat untouched for more than a year, other applications with names like “progress” and “progressive” were approved in just a matter of months. The headline in USA Today from earlier this week really says it all: “IRS gave liberals a pass; Tea Party groups put on hold.”

TIGTA’s audit found that some of those cases should have been set aside because of concerns related to their potential political activity, but no such review was done. Without objection, I enter the USA Today news report into the record.

This week, we learned that senior IRS officials knew about this activity almost two years ago, in June 2011, and IRS’s leadership in Washington knew of it in May 2012 – a year ago.

Despite a two-year long investigation by this Committee, the IRS never told the American people or their representatives about this simple truth. In fact, we were repeatedly told no such targeting was happening. That isn’t being misleading, that is lying.

But now, we know the truth – or at least some of it. We also know that these revelations are just the tip of the iceberg. It would be a mistake to treat this as just one scandal. This may be the one generating headlines, but in total I count at least five serious violations of the taxpayers’ right to be treated fairly, honestly and impartially by their government.

First, back in August of 2010, a "White House official" discussed the tax status of a private company – a clear intimidation tactic.

Second, in June 2010, the targeting of conservative groups began.

Third, in May 2011, the IRS started to threaten donors to conservative leaning non-profits that they were liable for certain taxes.

Fourth, in March of 2012, the Huffington Post published the confidential 2008 donor list of the National Organization for Marriage, a conservative tax-exempt organization.

And fifth – but unlikely the final transgression – ProPublica announced that the IRS had leaked confidential applications for tax-exempt status from conservative groups.

Mr. Miller, with all due respect, this systemic abuse cannot be fixed with just one resignation. And, as much as I expect more people need to go, the reality is this is not a personnel problem. This is a problem of the IRS being too large, too powerful, too intrusive and too abusive of honest, hardworking taxpayers.

There isn’t a person I come into contact with back home – or anyone in this country frankly – who does not fear the IRS. They fear getting something wrong on their tax filings. And, they fear the IRS’ ability to audit them and wreak havoc in their lives. Especially when all they are trying to do is improve their lives, let alone, God forbid, trying to “make America a better place to live,” which is what the IRS targeted them for.

Under that kind of thinking, every civic group in America is at risk – the Knights of Columbus, the Rotary, the JC’s, the American Legion and VFW clubs. I’m sure you’re aware of the saying that the power to tax is the power to destroy. Well, under this Administration, the IRS has abused its power to tax, and it has destroyed what little faith and hope the American people had in getting a fair shake in Washington.

This will not stand. Trimming a few branches will not solve the problem when the roots of the tree have gone rotten. And, that is exactly what has happened with our entire tax system – it is rotten at the core, and it must be ripped out so we can start fresh. Only then will the American people get a tax system that treats them fairly and honestly, as they deserve.

And, while that is a larger discussion, it is directly tied to the issue before us today – how and why our tax system has gone so far off-track. Many questions still remain:

Why did the IRS repeatedly target the American people and then keep that fact covered-up for so long?
Who started the targeting, who knew, when did they know and how high did it go?
Who leaked private taxpayer information?
Why were the names of donors asked for, and what was done with those lists before they were supposedly discarded?
When did the Administration know about each of these, and what was its reaction?

Listening to the nightly news, this appears to be just the latest example of a culture of cover-ups – and political intimidation – in this Administration. It seems like the truth is hidden from the American people just long enough to make it through an election.

The American people have a right to the truth, to a government that delivers the facts, good or bad, no matter what. President Obama promised to be different and to deliver a better government, the most transparent in history.

He was right. America deserves better. It is time to end the corruption at the IRS and fix a tax code that allows Washington and the IRS to pick who wins and who loses in America.

I expect nothing less than total cooperation by the IRS and this Administration as we investigate what happened and what we must do to fix it.

I now recognize Ranking Member Levin for the purpose of his opening statement, and thank him for his commitment to pursue this issue.

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ICYMI: What is to be done: Reveal and replace Obamacare

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Millions of Americans now find themselves in the midst of a massive botched experiment called Obamacare. Nearly every poll-tested health care commitment is evaporating into thin air, leaving us with higher costs and headaches of uncertainty.

Unfortunately, this was both predicted and avoidable. Obamacare was premised on an outmoded, top-down approach to health care - a 40 year-old liberal aspiration, enabled by unified Democrat control of Washington in 2010.

Three years later, the implications are staggering. Despite the White House's claims to the contrary, we are faced with higher health care costs, many will lose or face substantial change to their insurance coverage, and job creation is threatened as hours and wages are reduced as a result of Obamacare. And the number of people dependent on the government for their health care will expand exponentially, exposing future generations to massive fiscal risks.

As Republicans we find ourselves in a challenging position witnessing this slow motion calamity. Repealing the bungled law and replacing it with a modern, common sense, bottom-up alternative is our preferred approach, which is why the House will vote tomorrow to fully repeal this government takeover of the health care system. Yet, while this vote is important, President Obama's reelection makes full repeal unlikely - at least for now.

So, if repeal is not a viable short-term option, reveal must be. Dissecting Obamcare's defective anatomy while offering alternatives is the way to get our health care system back on track. That's why the two committees we chair will continue our aggressive oversight, exposing Obamacare's failures - and discussing ways to provide more affordable health care to all Americans.

What have our efforts "revealed" so far?

For starters, Obamacare suffers from its own pre-existing condition: hyper-partisanship. You can't build an entirely new health care regime using a partisan hammer. But that's exactly what the Democrats in Congress did, with no Republican votes in the House or Senate.

Enduring health care change must garner some bipartisan support. So, we pledge to focus our efforts on policies that can actually make our health care system work better for families and employers struggling to continue providing benefits for their workers.

Second, the most important health care issue for Americans is cost. Health care costs are far too high for workers and employers. Democrats lost sight of the main priority. Roughly 85 percent of Americans already have health insurance. Instead of figuring out how to offer more affordable options for the uninsured, Obamacare upends the coverage of those that have it.

A recent investigation by one of our committees found that the new health law could drive individual premium increases as high has 400 percent and rates in the small business market could rise by as much as 200 percent.

It is a sad statement on Obamacare that Americans in the individual market will have to hope they only get hit with the average expected premium increase: 96 percent.

Republicans have a lot of affordability ideas. We support the creation of purchasing options across state lines, more flexibility for civic and fraternal associations to provide health insurance, incentives for states that control health care costs, the offering of high deductible plans, the creation of state-based high risk pools for people with pre-existing conditions, and medical liability reform. Unlike Obamacare's top-down mandates, these ideas would all reduce the cost of health care.

Consider this one example. A recent college graduate, Ashley, gets a job at a new start up company. She's excited about the work. Because the firm is just getting off the ground, it cannot yet afford to offer health care benefits.

Under Obamacare, Ashley is forced to buy a plan with all the bells, whistles, and coverage options designed for a woman two and three times her age who faces very different health care needs. We believe Ashley should have more options available to her and the ability to buy a plan tailored to her needs and her budget.

These affordability policies would allow us to remove one of the most unpopular features of Obamacare - the mandate that everyone must purchase government-approved insurance. We don't think it is right for Washington to force Ashley to buy a certain type of health care plan or face a tax.

Eliminating the mandate means the massive expansion of Medicaid, as well as most of the subsidies to purchase insurance in health exchanges, would no longer be necessary, saving taxpayers over a trillion dollars over the next ten years.

We are revealing better health care ideas. A bipartisan, affordability first approach, based on encouraging innovation and market-based choices must replace the bungled gambit of the massive old Washington spending and top-down regulatory mandates known as Obamacare.

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Camp Statement on Miller Resignation

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland), Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, made the following statement upon announcement that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner Steve Miller would resign effective early June.

“The American people should be able to trust and have faith that, not only the IRS, but that the tax code will treat them fairly. This resignation does nothing to change the culture of discrimination at the IRS. And, it certainly does nothing to change the fact that the tax system is targeting honest, hardworking taxpayers instead of working for them. There are still far too many unanswered questions and until we know what truly happened, we cannot fully fix what is wrong. This Committee wants the facts, and the American people deserve answers to why they were targeted on the basis of their political beliefs. The IRS has demonstrated a culture of cover up and has failed time and time again to be completely open and honest with the American people. This investigation will continue so Congress can ensure that no taxpayer is unfairly targeted.

"The Committee and the American people deserve honest answers from Mr. Miller at our hearing this Friday."

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Camp, Levin Request All IRS Documents

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Midland) and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner Steve Miller requesting information on the targeting of organizations by the IRS.

The Ways and Means Committee has led a nearly two-year investigation related to concerns that IRS was targeting individuals and organizations based on their political beliefs. The Committee will hold a hearing this Friday, May 17th at 9 AM exploring this issue.

Chairman Camp: “I am astounded and appalled that the IRS targeted organizations based on their political beliefs. No American, regardless of political affiliation, should have their right to free speech threatened by the IRS. The IRS’s repeated failure to be truthful is completely unethical and an embarrassment to this government. The fact that top level officials in the IRS were aware of this behavior and did nothing to address it is absolutely unacceptable and raises serious questions about the competence of those running this agency. The IRS must be accountable to taxpayers and Congress and that begins with providing an explanation for these egregious and unlawful practices.”

Ranking Member Levin: “The American people must have the fullest confidence that organizations requesting tax exemption receive completely unbiased treatment from the Internal Revenue Service and are never singled out by name or political views. They must also be assured that the IRS will be nothing less than completely forthcoming in the information it provides to Congress. The nation deserves a complete understanding of this matter. Chairman Camp and I have agreed it is essential that there be a thorough and bipartisan investigation and effective remedial action.”

In the letter, Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Levin requested the IRS provide all documents by May 21, 2013. Read the full letter here.

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Camp Announces Ways and Means Committee Hearing on Internal Revenue Service Targeting Conservative Groups

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today Congressman Dave Camp, (R-Midland), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Congressman Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee, today announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) practice of targeting applicants for tax-exempt status based on political leanings. The hearing will take place on Friday, May 17, 2013, in Room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 9:00 A.M.

Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Steve Miller, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, J. Russell George, will be the only witnesses at the hearing. 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.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Camp said, “The American public expects the Internal Revenue Service to be apolitical in its enforcement of our tax laws. News that the agency admits it targeted American taxpayers based on politics is both astounding and appalling. The Committee on Ways and Means will get to the bottom of this practice and ensure it never takes place again.”

In announcing the hearing, Ranking Member Sander Levin said, “The American people must have the fullest confidence that organizations requesting tax exemption receive completely unbiased treatment from the Internal Revenue Service and are never singled out by name or political views. The nation deserves a complete understanding of this matter, and as Chairman Camp and I discussed this morning, it is essential that there be a thorough and bipartisan investigation and effective remedial action.”

BACKGROUND:
Since June 2011, the Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating whether the Internal Revenue Service discriminated against taxpayers based on political opinions. News reports indicate that the agency is now admitting this past practice.

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Camp: Ways and Means Committee Will Hold a Hearing on IRS Targeting Conservative Groups

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland), Chairman of the House Ways and Means, announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) practice of targeting applicants for tax-exempt status based on political leanings. After multiple inquiries from the Ways and Means Committee, the IRS repeatedly denied that they were targeting conservative grassroots organizations.

In announcing the hearing, Camp stated, “The IRS absolutely must be non-partisan in its enforcement of our tax laws. The admission by the agency that it targeted American taxpayers based on politics is both shocking and disappointing. The Committee on Ways and Means will thoroughly investigate this matter and will soon hold a hearing to get to the bottom of this situation. We will hold the IRS accountable for its actions.”

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ICYMI: Lawmakers seek public support for tax overhaul

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

By Susan Davis

WASHINGTON — The top two tax writers on Capitol Hill want to overhaul the federal tax code for the first time since 1986 and they are soliciting help from the public to help get it done.

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, and House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, a Republican, are launching a website Thursday -- taxreform.gov -- and a Twitter handle, @simplertaxes, aimed at inviting taxpayers to offer comments and complaints about how to change the tax code.

"The average person can't get a Washington lobbyist to get a provision in to lower their taxes or a fancy lawyer or accountant to wind their way through the 15,000 changes that have occurred since the last time the code was looked at," Camp told USA TODAY in a joint interview with Baucus.

"We want to make sure the average American has full access to what we're doing," added Baucus, "Give us some stories -- even horror stories -- to add context and meaning to what we're doing here."

In 1985, former House Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., gave a nationally televised response to President Reagan during which he encouraged viewers to write him a letter of support for reforming the tax code. "Even if you can't spell Rostenkowski, put down what they used to call my father and grandfather: Rosty," he told viewers, who reportedly sent upwards of 75,000 letters to the congressman, propelling him as a national figure. The following year, Congress approved a broad overhaul of the federal tax code.

"This is the 2013 version of 'Write Rosty,' " Baucus said.

The chairmen's enthusiasm for reforming the tax code isn't mirrored among their colleagues on either side of the aisle, and there is skepticism it can be done. "I think that divided government has proven that bipartisan accomplishment is very difficult," said Sam Geduldig, a GOP lobbyist and former senior congressional aide. "That said, there are some important forces coalescing. Stranger things have happened."

The continued partisan divide over whether an overhaul should raise more revenues to help lower the deficit remains a significant obstacle to a deal.

Congressional Republicans want to close tax loopholes and other special interest tax breaks to simplify the code and reduce individual and corporate tax rates. Republicans have been explicit since the January tax deal that raised rates on wealthy Americans that they will support no further tax increases.

President Obama and congressional Democrats want to do largely the same, but instead of using revenues to lower rates, they prefer to use it to reduce the deficit and fund government efforts, like building roads and bridges. In March, White House spokesman Jay Carney conceded "enormous obstacles" remain in reaching any further deals to reduce the deficit.

Camp declined to speculate on how the revenue debate could play out. "I think we need to go to work on the bill and not focus on what our differences might be on an issue like that, and not go to our two corners," he said. However, Baucus has been more explicit that a compromise will be required to pass a divided Congress. "We're going down the road of tax reform, and at some point we're going to get to that fork in the road," he said of using revenues for rate reduction versus debt reduction, "And we'll have to decide which path we go on, but more likely it's going to be a compromise."

President Obama supports a revenue neutral -- meaning the government will collect the same amount of money -- overhaul of the corporate tax code, but he has been consistent in seeking an additional $600 billion in tax revenue to help close the budget gap.

The best opportunity for moving a tax overhaul may come later this year, when Congress will have to vote to increase the debt ceiling, the nation's borrowing limit, which is expected to come no later than the fall.

Already, negotiators are openly discussing the possibility of tying conditions of a tax overhaul to the debt increase in order to pass it. Camp said it was "an idea worth pursuing" and Baucus likewise said he would consider it. "I'm open to anything that works," he said.

Time is not on their side: Baucus is retiring and Camp's term as chairman of Ways and Means expires at the end of this Congress. "We've double-downed to get tax reform passed," Baucus said. And with no burden to hit the campaign trail, Baucus says he has "more time to talk to colleagues and whoever will listen to me."

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Camp and Baucus Team Up to Launch TaxReform.gov

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) today teamed up to launch TaxReform.gov, a new website dedicated to obtaining input from the American public on tax reform.

“The tax code is littered with special interest provisions that Washington has put in over the last 27 years. It is time to go line-by-line through the tax code and clean it up. There is no reason Americans should have to spend over 6 billion hours and over $160 billion every year just trying to comply with the tax code. Chairman Baucus and I believe in a tax code that is more effective and efficient. A simpler, fairer tax code will help families and it will help strengthen our economy. But Washington doesn’t have all the answers. That is why we are joining together in a non-partisan way to invite you to weigh in on this debate. We want you, the American people, to share your story and your ideas about how our tax code should work,” Chairman Camp said.

“America’s tax code today is complex, inefficient and acting as a brake on our economy. Chairman Camp and I believe it is in need of a serious overhaul. Over the past two years we’ve held more than 50 hearings and heard from hundreds of experts on how to fix the tax code, to make it simpler and fairer for families and spark a more prosperous economy. Now it’s time to hear from the most important stakeholders — the American people,” Chairman Baucus said. “Through the web site TaxReform.gov and Twitter all Americans will be able to weigh in and participate directly in the debate. We want to know what people think the nation’s tax system should look like and how we can make families lives easier.”

Developed in partnership with the Joint Committee on Taxation, TaxReform.gov will serve as a platform for the American public to weigh in on tax reform. Input from visitors to the web site will be valuable to the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee as they craft legislation. The site also incorporates many Twitter tools that allow the public to weigh in by following @simplertaxes.

The idea is based on efforts of former Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski to engage the American public in the last successful overhaul of the U.S. tax code in 1985. He encouraged the American public to send letters in support of tax reform in what became known as the “Write Rosty Campaign.” As a result, Rostenkowski received more than 75,000 letters and post cards from the American public in support of tax reform, helping lead to the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

Chairmen Baucus and Camp have recreated the outreach effort with a 21st century twist. Visitors to the website can learn about tax reform and submit ideas on how to improve the tax code. The site has been built around three sections: Why reform the Tax Code? What’s already underway? Share your story and ideas.

The site also provides a library of material detailing the efforts by Baucus and Camp over the past two years as they have developed comprehensive tax reform proposals.

Background on the “Write Rosty Campaign”

In early 1985, at the start of the last successful overhaul of the nation’s tax code, a little-known House committee chairman named Dan Rostenkowski delivered the Democratic response to President Reagan’s national address on tax reform. Rostenkowski used his speech, which drew immediate praise, as an opportunity to launch his “Write Rosty” campaign, calling on Americans to send his Capitol Hill office letters of support for a tax reform plan that would make the system simpler and fairer.

Within days, Rostenkowski had received more than 75,000 letters, as well as several more eclectic items, including a tax reform t-shirt and a two-by-four to “beat back lobbyists.” Rostenkowski noted at the time how important it was for him and the Democratic Party to engage a naturally-skeptical public on tax reform to demonstrate what it was about – simplicity and fairness. He said average Americans felt like “suckers and chumps” when they paid their taxes because the system was rigged to give special privileges to the lucky few who could hide money in tax shelters and dodge paying their fair share.

“Write Rosty” with a 21st Century Twist

There is a compelling story to be told about how Chairmen Camp and Baucus are working together to revive public engagement on tax reform. They are developing bills to make the tax code simpler and fairer, and they want everyday Americans to be active participants in the reform process.

The public, just like in 1985, is naturally skeptical of tax reform. That’s partly because the issues are so complex, but it’s also because Democrats and Republicans in Congress have struggled to find common ground on much of anything lately. But tax reform has backers in both parties, and Chairmen Camp and Baucus have one of the most productive bipartisan relationships in Congress. They see this as an opportunity to legislate in the light of day and keep partisan politics from derailing the process. And the kind of engagement the “Write Rosty” campaign sparked nearly 30 years ago is even easier today thanks to the Internet and social media. That’s why the chairmen are launching TaxReform.gov and @simplertaxes to get the public involved and active in the process.

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Memo Confirms Obama Administration Long Planned to Undermine Welfare Work Requirements, Ignore Welfare Prohibitions as Far Back as 2009

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland), Chairman of the House Ways and Means, and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today released a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) internal memo that confirms that as early as 2009, the Obama Administration was actively exploring ways to circumvent welfare work requirements and other key provisions that were the cornerstone of the 1996 landmark bipartisan welfare reform law. In July 2012, the Obama Administration unilaterally granted itself the authority to exempt states from those work requirements arguing that states had requested that flexibility. This memo shows, Hatch and Camp argue, that the Obama Administration was interested in pursuing ways to weaken these work requirements from the first year it came into office, and that the Administration sought authority to waive much more than just work requirements.

"This memo seriously undermines the Obama Administration's timeline and credibility on their proposal to waive the critical welfare work requirement," said Camp. "It is clear that from the outset of his presidency, President Obama and his advisors searched for ways to increase benefits and disconnect them from work. The welfare work requirement was part of the overwhelmingly successful 1996 welfare reforms that led to more work and earnings and less poverty and dependence. The Administration's efforts to dismantle this work requirement – and their false premises for doing so – are simply unacceptable."

“I’ve been more than a little skeptical of the Obama Administration’s argument that they were purely responding to the needs of the states when they unilaterally chose to undermine welfare work requirements, and this memo confirms my skepticism, “ said Hatch. “From the first year the Obama Administration took power, it was trying to find any legal and policy justification to permit the weakening of welfare reforms that demand work in exchange for government benefits. They used states’ desire for flexibility as a stalking horse to justify this massive executive branch power grab. This sets a very dangerous precedent and it’s time the Administration admit that this was their goal all along.”

In July 2012, HHS issued an Information Memorandum to states granting the Secretary the authority to waive federal work requirements in welfare programs, potentially opening the door for activities like bed rest, smoking cessation and exercise to qualify as a “work activity” permitting individuals to receive welfare checks from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Although the Administration claimed their 2012 action was being taken at the request of states that wanted more flexibility, the 2009 HHS memo demonstrates that the Administration was planning to take this action well before states supposedly asked for this authority in 2011. The 2009 memo also reveals that the Administration sought to waive much more than work requirements, as the Administration specifically asked HHS lawyers whether they could justify waiving the five-year time limit on receipt of TANF benefits as well as other restrictions on how TANF funds can be spent.

Hatch and Camp have introduced separate pieces of legislation to prohibit the Obama Administration from unilaterally granting itself the authority to exempt states from the work requirements arguing that the Administration’s action threatens to undermine the bipartisan welfare reform law, which has resulted in some of the greatest progress against poverty and dependence in our nation’s history. Results of the law include:

Sharp increases in work and earnings by single mothers;
A 30 percent drop in poverty among female-headed families with children; and
Record declines in welfare dependence, with the TANF rolls remaining 57 percent below pre-reform levels even after the 2007 recession.

If congressional action is not taken to reverse the Executive Branch overreach, the new policy could allow people who are ineligible under current law to receive welfare benefits. The 2009 HHS memo, which was recently released to Committee staff, provides detailed information regarding the scope of the Secretary’s presumed authority to waive key features of welfare reform, potentially allowing states to use federal TANF funds to provide welfare benefits to ineligible aliens, fugitive felons, and parole violators, among others. HHS staff also suggested the Secretary could allow States to pay federal welfare benefits for longer than five years, overcoming the lifetime 5-year limit included in the 1996 reforms. Hatch, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, plans to offer an amendment to block such efforts by the Administration during this week’s markup of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.

Legislation introduced by Chairman Camp thwarting the Administration’s waiver scheme has twice passed the House of Representatives, in September 2012 and March 2013. The measure introduced by Senator Hatch responds to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found that the Administration’s unilateral July 2012 memorandum qualifies as a rule that must be submitted to Congress and is subject to review – and potential disapproval – under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).

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Camp Statement on April Jobs Report

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) released the following statement in reaction to the April jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor. A net total of 165,000 jobs were created and the unemployment rate for April decreased to 7.5 percent from 7.6 percent in March.

"The fact that an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent is better than expected says everything about just how weak our economy continues to be. For the good of the American people, we must find a way to strengthen this economy and unleash robust economic growth – not simply growth that beats low expectations. Tax reform that cleans up the tax code and closes wasteful loopholes and lowers tax rates will help both families and employers. Instead of spending time and money trying to comply with the tax code, families will have more control over their lives and employers will have more opportunities to create more jobs and provide higher wages for American workers. The Ways and Means Committee will continue to pursue this important goal, and, in doing so, work to revive our economy and job market that isn’t picking up steam.”

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