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Underwood Legislation to Rename Plainfield Post Office in Honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Passes House

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON —Today, Rep. Lauren Underwood’s legislation to rename the Plainfield Post Office in honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. passed the House of Representatives with unanimous bipartisan support. The House-passed bill will now be sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration. 

Underwood secured support from every member of the Illinois congressional delegation – Representatives Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Bill Foster (IL-11), Mike Bost (IL-12), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Mary Miller (IL-15), Darin LaHood (IL-16), and Eric Sorensen (IL-17) – to honor her constituent by officially designating the Post Office Building at 14855 South Van Dyke Road in Plainfield, IL as the “Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Post Office Building.”

Staff Sergeant Dueñez and three other U.S. soldiers were killed during an Army training exercise in Lithuania on March 31, 2025. His family described Dueñez as “someone who always wanted to protect people.” He was a beloved member of his community who enlisted right after high school and served his country for seven years.

“Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. represents the best of our community. He was an extraordinary hero who served his country with strength and resilience,” Rep. Underwood said. “I’m honored to lead this legislation to permanently commemorate his sacrifice and service. The Plainfield Post Office will bear his name as reminder of his contributions not only to his country, but to his community and family as a father, husband, brother, and son.”

Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. was born on April 8, 1999, and was raised in Joliet along with his five sisters. Dueñez was promoted five times over the course of his service, ultimately reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant in November of 2020. He served in three overseas deployments—Poland in 2019, Germany in 2022, and Lithuania in 2025—and was recognized with two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, one Certificate of Achievement, two Army Good Conduct Medals, and a National Defense Service Medal.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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House Passes Krishnamoorthi Bill to Rename Palatine Post Office After Late World War II Hero Bernie Bluestein

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives today passed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s legislation to rename the Palatine Post Office in honor of the late Bernie Bluestein, a decorated World War II veteran, member of the legendary Ghost Army, and beloved leader in the Palatine community.

H.R. 5773 would designate the United States Postal Service facility in Palatine as the Bernie Bluestein Post Office, permanently honoring Bluestein’s extraordinary military service, and decades of contributions to the northwest suburban community.

During floor debate ahead of the vote, Krishnamoorthi urged his colleagues to support the bill and preserve Bluestein’s legacy for future generations.

“Bernie was a heroic member of the World War Two American secret unit known as the Ghost Army. Bluestein helped employ inflatable tanks, fake radio signals, and sound deception to mislead Nazi forces, saving thousands of lives and helping to turn the tide in Europe,” Krishnamoorthi said in his remarks.

Bluestein served in the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, the highly secretive American deception unit whose operations helped protect Allied troops and save countless lives during pivotal campaigns in Europe. Following his military service, Bluestein remained a steadfast leader in Palatine, where he became a beloved artist, mentor, and lifelong learner. As a student at Harper College, he enriched the campus community for decades and inspired generations with his creativity and humility.

Earlier this month, Bluestein passed away at the age of 102 following a battle with cancer.

“Honoring him with this designation ensures that his extraordinary contributions to our nation and our community are never forgotten,” Krishnamoorthi said on the House floor.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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DelBene on Swalwell, Gonzales Resignations

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

DelBene on Swalwell, Gonzales Resignations

Washington, D.C., April 14, 2026

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement:

“Survivors of sexual assault deserve to be believed, supported, and have a clear, timely path to justice. Their voices and their courage to speak out must be at the center of this conversation.

“Justice requires accountability, especially for Members of Congress who are entrusted to uphold the honor and respect of their constituents. The recent resignations by Reps. Swalwell and Gonzales are a step toward accountability, but only the beginning. Public service demands integrity.

“I will continue to support all survivors of sexual assault and work to build a system that holds those who commit these insidious crimes accountable.”

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Rep. Panetta Cosponsors Legislation to Establish Independent Commission on Presidential Capacity

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Legislation would create nonpartisan body called for in the 25th Amendment to determine presidential fitness

Washington, D.C. – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) joined Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and nearly 50 of his Democratic colleagues to introduce legislation to establish a Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office, the body and process called for in Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to enable Congress to ensure effective and uninterrupted leadership in the presidency.

This body is the legislative counterpart to the Cabinet and would have the power to work with the Vice President. Essentially, the 25th Amendment gives a constitutional answer to any medical crisis that might occur.

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment empowers Congress to establish a permanent “body” that, with the concurrence of the Vice President, can declare that the President is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Although the 25th Amendment was adopted more than 50 years ago, Congress never set up this body called for in Section 4. This bill establishes that independent nonpartisan body: the Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office. This means the Vice President could act either with a majority of the Cabinet or a majority of this body in the event of a 25th Amendment crisis.

“The 25th Amendment provides ways to remove a United States President who is unable to discharge his or her duties based on some form of incapacity or infirmity,” said Rep. Panetta. “A President’s cabinet can formally recommend removal of their President or a commission appointed by the Vice President can determine a President’s removal. Either of those determinations then require the Congress and the Senate to agree to the removal with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. The bill that we’re introducing would allow Congress an opportunity in a bipartisan manner to create that commission of non-partisan physicians, psychiatrists, and retired government officials, as outlined by Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. Based on the bipartisan nature of the selection process, the bill would strengthen the role of Congress when it comes to such a serious determination as mandated by our Constitution.”

“The Constitution explicitly vests Congress with the authority to create a body that will guarantee the successful continuity of government by responding to presidential incapacity to discharge the powers and duties of office. We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet. This body should have been set up Congress when the 25th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1967. We have 535 Members of Congress but just one President and this body is a necessary element of successful continuity of government. Congress should act now to establish a permanent and standing Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office. Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ. We are at a dangerous precipice, and it is now a matter of national security for Congress to fulfill its responsibilities under the 25th Amendment to protect the American people from an increasingly volatile and unstable situation,” said Ranking Member Raskin.

In emergency situations, Congress could pass a concurrent resolution requiring the Commission to examine the President, determine his/her ability to execute the powers and duties of the office, and report its findings to Congress. If presidential incapacity exists according to the Vice President and a majority of the Commission, the Vice President would immediately assume the role of Acting President.

Under the legislation, which is scrupulously bipartisan, the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader would each select four retired statespersons from the Executive Branch (such as former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Attorneys General and Surgeons General, Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury) to serve on the Commission. 

Additionally, the Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber would select four physicians and four psychiatrists to serve on the Commission. The 16 appointed members then would select a 17th member to act as the Chair of the Commission. In order to avoid conflicts of interest and both civilian and military chain of command issues, none of the members could be current elected officials, federal employees, or members of the active or reserve military.

Full text of the bill is available here.

An overview of the legislation and background on the 25th Amendment is available here.

FAQs are available here.

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Guthrie Announces Winners of 2026 Congressional Art Competition

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

Bowling Green, KY – Last night, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) hosted the awards ceremony for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition on the campus of Barren County High School.  

“Every year, I look forward to seeing the creativity of our young people expressed in the submissions for the Congressional Art Competition – this year was no different,” said Congressman Brett Guthrie. “It was an honor to visit with these extraordinarily talented students, their families, teachers, and friends to celebrate their incredible accomplishments. I know that all of these artists have bright futures ahead, and I look forward to seeing our winning submissions proudly displayed on the walls of the U.S. Capitol and my offices. Great work!”

2026 Congressional Art Competition Reception and Awards Ceremony

The Congressional Art Competition allows high school students in Kentucky’s Second Congressional District to compete for the chance to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. This week’s reception gave artists from across the district the opportunity to showcase their artwork for their peers, family members, and judges. 

The competition is judged by art professionals and professors from colleges and universities in the district. The “Overall First Place” winning artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. The second and third place submissions, in addition to the “Facebook Favorite”, will be displayed in Congressman Guthrie’s various Congressional offices.

All submitted artwork for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition can be found here.

Pictures from yesterday’s reception can be found here.

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Beyer Floor Remarks on ALERT Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents a Northern Virginia district that includes National Airport (DCA), today delivered remarks on the House floor during debate on H.R. 7613, the ALERT Act, aviation safety reform legislation that would implement the 50 recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its final report on the January 29, 2025, midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342.

The House vote on the ALERT Act is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today, with a threshold of two thirds required for passage because of the procedural measure that brought it to the floor.

Beyer’s remarks, as delivered (video here):

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7613, the ALERT Act, and I thank the committees of jurisdiction for your tireless work on this bill and for adopting significant feedback from the stakeholders, including the Families of Flight 5342 and the National Transportation Safety Board.

And a personal thank you to Ranking Member Larsen for your collaboration and support. You and your team have been wonderful to work with through a difficult process.

This bill provides a meaningful and comprehensive response to last year’s January 29th collision at National Airport, which tragically took 67 lives.

We must do everything we can to keep this tragedy from happening again.

This bill would implement all 50 recommendations from the NTSB’s final report on the collision.

It would reevaluate the arrival rate at National Airport, which is too high.

It would establish a time-based flow management system to make our air traffic controllers’ workload more manageable.

It would reevaluate our air traffic control [tower’s] facility level to hopefully bring more resources and staffing to the tower.

And, this bill would improve our helicopter route charts. It aims to put guardrails on military helicopter flights in this very congested region.

This bill is an incredible step forward for National Airport, for our region, and for our country – and I hope to see it pass this evening.

However, the ALERT Act is not perfect.

It includes ADS-B carveouts for some general aviation aircraft, and there are still concerns about military helicopter flights in the region not being adequately addressed.

The Families of Flight 5342 still have legitimate concerns, and put out a statement today on their hopes for improvements to the bill in the Senate before it becomes law, which I support.

I was disappointed to see the ROTOR Act, which had strong ADS-B requirements, fail on the House Floor earlier this year.

But, Madam Speaker, our goal is to adopt the strongest aviation safety requirements possible, and I firmly believe that the ALERT Act accomplishes much of this goal, but that we can and should make this bill stronger.

I look forward to voting and supporting the ALERT Act today, as I did with the ROTOR Act earlier this year, with the understanding that more work is needed.

As this bill advances, I urge my colleagues in the committees of jurisdiction to make improvements, to close any loopholes, and to prioritize safety for all over the convenience of a few.

And thank you again to our committee leaders for their work on this bill.

I yield back.”

Congressman Beyer has consistently championed aviation safety and long advocated for measures to alleviate congested air traffic in Northern Virginia skies. After the tragic collision between PSA Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter, Beyer urged for a safety review and an extended halt of military helicopter training in the airspace around DCA. Beyer also helped secure language requiring the Department of Transportation to conduct an independent safety review of DCA’s airspace, civil-military coordination, and operational safety in the National Capital Region as part of the FY26 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act, which was recently passed into law on February 3, 2026. Beyer was among the first voices to urge the Trump Administration to adopt the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary recommendations following its investigation of the incident.

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Nadler’s Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act Becomes Law

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Washington, DC – On Monday, April 13, after years of advocacy by Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and the Jewish families whose artworks were looted by the Nazis, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act of 2025 was signed into law. Representative Nadler, the lead House Democratic sponsor of the legislation, released the following statement:

“Finally, after years of bipartisan and bicameral effort, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 is the law of the land.

“More than 100,000 works of art that were stolen by the Nazis from Jewish families during the Holocaust remain unrecovered. Together we confronted this unacceptable and repugnant reality, which continued to allow entities and individuals to profit off the Jewish people’s pain. Now this new law will further help these families in their legal battles to seek justice in our courts.

“I was proud to lead efforts to pass the original HEAR Act in 2016 that fought back and began to bring justice to victims’ families, and I was honored to continue the fight as the lead House Democratic sponsor of the updated legislation that was signed into law this week. This final step in turning the bill into law marks the culmination of our efforts that began more than ten years ago.

“In the United States, every victim and family member with a credible claim deserves to have their day in court, with their case heard on the merits alone. Justice will no longer be denied due to procedural technicalities and legislative sunset provisions.

“While we cannot reverse the horrors of the Holocaust, we can ensure that in an American courtroom, the truth of a family’s legacy carries more weight than a legal loophole.”

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Read More (Steube Urges VA to Approve Crucifix for Catholic Veterans)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

April 14, 2026 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) led a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging the agency to approve the use of a crucifix as an eligible emblem of belief for inscription on headstones at national cemeteries. Currently, veterans and their families may select from nearly 100 approved emblems of belief representing a wide range of faiths and belief systems. However, Catholic veterans do not have the option to choose a crucifix; an emblem that reflects the faith of nearly twenty percent of all veterans.“Our veterans made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, and they deserve to be honored in a way that reflects their deeply held beliefs,” said Rep. Steube. “Catholic veterans should not be denied the ability to have a crucifix on their headstones while other belief systems are represented. The VA must correct this and ensure every veteran is laid to rest with reverence befitting their service and sacrifice to their nation and their Creator.”In the letter, Rep. Steube and his colleagues emphasize that while emblems exist for numerous religious and non-religious belief systems, including those for atheists, humanists, and other faith traditions, the absence of a crucifix creates a clear gap in representation for Catholic veterans.The letter calls on the VA to uphold the religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment and requests details on the agency’s approval process, any prior requests to include a crucifix, and a timeline for action.Supporting organizations include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA; and CatholicVote.“I support the bipartisan effort led by Congressman Greg Steube (R-Fla.) to support the Free Exercise of religion of veterans in having the crucifix included on tombstones.”—Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USABackground: Veterans and their families may currently select from nearly 100 emblems of belief for inscription on headstones at VA national cemeteries, representing a wide range of faiths and belief systems. However, there is no approved emblem featuring a crucifix — which is a cross featuring a representation of a crucified Jesus Christ — a central symbol of the Catholic faith.Catholic veterans make up a significant portion of those who have served our country, yet they are not afforded the same ability to have their faith fully represented in burial honors. The absence of a crucifix stands in contrast to the availability of emblems for numerous other belief systems.Rep. Steube’s letter urges the VA to address this gap and ensure that all veterans are honored in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs.Read the letter here.

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Oregon Delegation Honors Oregonian Paralympians and Olympians

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Maxine Dexter (OR-03) introduced a resolution with U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, supported by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) to honor the four Olympic athletes and two Paralympic athletes who represented Oregon in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.  

“These talented and accomplished Oregon athletes exhibited the extraordinary potential of human achievement on the world stage,” said Rep. Dexter. “This resolution, elevated by our entire federal delegation, celebrates and honors their athleticism, grit, and commitment.” 

“A huge congratulations to Oregon’s athletes who recently represented our country in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games—you embody the best of America,” said Sen. Merkley. “Go Team USA!”

“Oregonians have shown their incredible dedication and skill in the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Sen. Wyden said. “These athletes deserve to be recognized for their successes, and so does everyone in their support networks who made it all possible. I am incredibly proud to introduce this resolution that commemorates the accomplishments of our athletes and their loved ones who have represented The Oregon Way on the global stage.” 

“The Paralympians and Olympians from Oregon represent the best of our state,” said Rep. Bonamici. “I’m pleased to celebrate their hard work and dedication. Congratulations to all the athletes on their achievements!”

“Congratulations to the Oregonians who represented Team USA in the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” said Rep. Salinas. “Our athletes’ great achievements serve as a testament to their determination and passion for their sport. Oregon could not be prouder of our Milano Cortina athletes.”

“These Olympic and Paralympic athletes represent the best of Oregon. Their passion and dedication to their sport is inspiring to everyone. Congratulations to our athletes, we are proud beyond words,” said Rep. Hoyle. 

“I am so proud of these six amazing and talented athletes who competed on the world stage,” said Rep. Bynum. “You’ve made our district, state, and country proud.”

The talented and exceptional Olympians and Paralympians recognized in the resolution are as follows: Jacqueline Wiles, alpine skiing; Hunter Hess, freestyle skiing; Sean FitzSimons, snowboarding; Alessandro Barbieri, snowboarding; Anna Soens, para alpine skiing; Ravi Drugan, para alpine skiing.  

Read the full resolution here.  

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Democrats Launch Inquiry into Weaponization of IRS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

Washington, D.C.— Today, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Oversight Subcommittee, led most Ways and Means Committee Democrats in demanding immediate answers from IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano on reports that the IRS has compiled a list of Democratic donors and “left-leaning” nonprofit organizations, and is moving to label these groups as domestic terrorists. 

“Straight out of the authoritarian playbook, Trump is using every lever of government to punish his political enemies and intimidate any potential critic into silence. That’s why he is apparently weaponizing the IRS against dissenting nonprofits and donors,” said Rep. Doggett. “Just as freedom-loving, committed citizens rejected this playbook in Hungary with Viktor Orban’s decisive defeat this week, Ways & Means Democrats are forcefully pushing back against Trump’s abuse. Frank Bisignano must maintain his commitment to our Committee that he will not initiate audits, investigations, or revocations of tax-exempt status based on political targeting.” 

“As Members of Congress with oversight power over the IRS, Ways and Means Democrats will not stand by as Donald Trump tries to weaponize the IRS against his political opponents,” said Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Terri A. Sewell. “The IRS must act as a nonpartisan enforcer of the tax code, and the American people deserve to know if current IRS leadership is willing to prioritize serving U.S. taxpayers over Donald Trump and stand up against the President’s obsessive mission to intimidate any organization that opposes his far-right agenda.”

“Weaponizing the tax code against the President’s opponents is an abuse of power that no President—Republican or Democrat—should be allowed to get away with,” said Cole Leiter, Executive Director, Americans Against Government Censorship, “Rather than make sure the IRS is helping everyday Americans file correctly and on time, or even enforcing the tax code to pursue tax cheats and criminals, this Administration has dedicated time and effort to harassing groups that disagree with the President and stand in the way of him implementing his agenda. It is essential that the IRS remain a non-partisan enforcer of our tax laws, and it is essential for Mr. Bisignano to tell the American people how he plans to ensure all Americans are treated fairly.”

Rep. Doggett and Rep. Sewell’s full letter can be found here and below.

The Honorable Frank Bisignano

Chief Executive Officer

Internal Revenue Service

1111 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20224

Dear Mr. Bisignano:

We write today because we are gravely concerned that the Administration has weaponized the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by targeting tax-exempt organizations and their donors based on their political beliefs and constitutionally protected advocacy. We have said time and time again that the IRS must do its work impartially and without political bias. Taxpayers should not be targeted based on their political beliefs. The President’s use of the IRS to target any particular taxpayer is both unlawful and unacceptable. Therefore, we are deeply troubled that not only has the IRS compiled a list of Democratic donors and “left-leaning” nonprofit organizations, but that the Administration is moving to label these groups as domestic terrorists.

In October 2025, we wrote to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)[1] requesting an investigation after it was reported that the Administration was encouraging the IRS to facilitate criminal investigations targeting Democratic donors and “left-leaning” nonprofit groups, and that a senior IRS official had compiled a list of potential targets that included George Soros and his affiliated organizations.[2] That report further indicated that the President had ordered Treasury Secretary Bessent, in his capacity as Acting IRS Commissioner, to refer certain tax-exempt organizations to the Department of Justice for further investigation. 

Most recently, reporting indicates that the IRS Criminal Investigation division has partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate nonprofit organizations over suspected links to “domestic terrorism.”[3] In a December 4, 2025 memo, the Attorney General defined “domestic terrorism” in part by reference to politically protected speech — including what she termed “opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology, anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, or anti-Christianity.”[4] We do not support terrorism domestically or abroad, however, we believe these non-profit organizations are being targeted solely because they do not align with this Administration’s agenda.  

Earlier this year in testimony before the Ways and Means Committee you committed “100 percent” that under your leadership the IRS would not initiate audits, investigations, or revocations of tax-exempt status based on political targeting. As you know, Section 7217 of the Internal Revenue Code makes it a federal crime for covered political officials within the Executive Branch — including the President, Vice President, the Treasury Secretary, and any employee of the executive office of the President — to request, directly or indirectly, that the IRS audit, investigate, or pursue any particular taxpayer. A violation carries criminal penalties of up to five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. Additionally, Section 7217 requires IRS officers and employees to report any prohibited requests to TIGTA; failure to report is itself a separate crime.

Given the above, please provide written responses to the following questions by April 2029 2026:

  1. Has the President requested — either directly or through his staff — that the IRS audit or investigate any particular taxpayer or category of taxpayers?
  2. Has Secretary Bessent requested — either directly or through his staff — that the IRS audit or investigate any particular taxpayer or category of taxpayers?
  3. Have any individuals considered “applicable persons” for the purposes of Section 7217 requested — either directly or through staff — that the IRS audit or investigate any particular taxpayer or category of taxpayers?
  4. Who was involved in developing the list of investigative targets reported in the press?
    1. How many audits, prosecutions, or investigations have been requested in connection with the list? How many have been acted upon? How many have been rejected?
    2. Are taxpayers on the list being audited, prosecuted, or investigated in relation to alleged activities or tax issues that are not generally subject to such scrutiny?
    3. Who has been involved in pursuing audits, prosecutions, or investigations of taxpayers on the list?
    4. Does the list include organizations or individuals that have been publicly named as political opponents by the President, Vice President, Treasury Secretary, or other Administration officials?
  5. Has the Department of Justice received any referrals connected to the list? Were these referrals initiated through normal IRS channels or through other means?
  6. How many potentially improper requests have been reported to TIGTA? How many requests, if any, were not reported as required?
  7. What specific concerns have career IRS employees raised about political interference in enforcement decisions? How many IRS employees have reported such concerns, and through what channels?
  8. What internal controls has the IRS put in place to prevent and remedy potential political interference in tax administration?
  9. What consequences have been imposed or contemplated for those who have made or carried out potentially improper requests for politically motivated investigations?
  10. What steps is the IRS taking to prevent retaliation against officers and employees who decline to participate in or sign off on politically motivated investigations?
  11. What steps is the IRS taking to protect the rights of whistleblowers who raise concerns about political interference in tax administration?
  12. What have you done to ensure that the letter and spirit of Section 1203 of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 — under which the Commissioner “shall terminate” any IRS employee who violates a constitutional right or violates IRS policy for the purpose of retaliating against or harassing a taxpayer, taxpayer representative, or fellow employee — is being followed?
  13. Has protected taxpayer information been disclosed to non-IRS employees, including Department of Justice, Treasury, or White House staff? If so:
    1. What statutory exception under Section 6103 authorized each such disclosure?
    2. For Department of Justice and Treasury employees invoking Section 6103(h)(1), what specific official duties required inspection or disclosure of the information, and how does each disclosure relate to tax administration purposes rather than politically motivated investigations?
  14. Have the list(s) of investigative targets been shared with other federal agencies or with parties outside the federal government? If so, with whom have they been shared, under what authority, and for what purpose?
  15. What steps are being taken to preserve all records related to potential political interference and potential violations of taxpayer privacy laws, including all records related to the list of investigative targets and any instructions given to IRS personnel regarding that list?
  16. An IRS spokesperson has been quoted as saying “IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is collaborating with federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to investigate individuals and entities that may be funding domestic terrorism or political violence.”[5]
    1. Who determined the targets of these investigations? Is IRS-CI investigating any taxpayers who were on the list of investigative targets? Do any of those being investigated include organizations or individuals that have been publicly named as political opponents by the President, Vice President, Treasury Secretary, or other Administration officials?
    2. Are those collaborative investigations exclusively matters of tax administration? If you consider the investigations to involve potential violations that do not fall under tax administration, please describe the basis on which federal tax information could be disclosed under Section 6103 for those purposes. Please describe the evidence that shows any disclosures followed your suggested basis.
    3. If you have assigned IRS-CI special agents and other employees to work at the FBI’s direction on matters that are not tax administration, has anyone in the Department of Treasury or the IRS disclosed any federal tax information to those investigations under any Section 6103 provision other than a court order entered under Section 6103(i)(1)? If so, for each disclosure please provide which exception to Section 6103’s prohibitions was used and what reasoning allowed for the disclosure.

We expect your full and prompt cooperation with this oversight request. The integrity of federal tax administration, and the constitutional rights of American taxpayers and civic organizations, depend on it. 

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