INVASION OF PRIVACY - ALMOST

In the rush to pass the Omnibus Spending bill for FY2005, the Senate yesterday came within inches of approving a provision in the spending bill that would have permitted "agents designated by the chairman of the House or Senate Appropriations Committee to look at tax returns" of ANY American taxpayer. The provision, inserted by Rep. Ernest Istook Jr. (R) of Oklahoma, did not contain protections for taxpayer confidentiality, or penalties for releasing taxpayer data to the public.

Currently only members of the Joint Committee on Taxation are permitted to review tax records, and only in very specific circumstances (like refunds over $2million), with criminal penalties for releasing information to the public. Had the Senate passed the provision and the President signed the bill into law, Ted Stevens (R) or Bill Young (R) could have sent ANYONE to review your income tax returns - without your permission, and without notification. Your tax return information could be made public by those agents, and it would be totally legal.

Imagine what would happen if the Chairmen sent someone to review your records. Do you want Congress knowing how much you donated to the NRA or your local church? Do you want Congress to know how much money you made on the sale of your Google stock? I know I don't.

Congressional staffers and IRS agents aren't paid well. How much do you think it would cost your political foes to get your tax return information? $100? $1,000? Do you even want to find out? I know I don't.

With the amount of personal information already available to anyone who makes a phone call posing as someone they are not, it's not too far of a stretch to think tax return data would be given out freely or sold to the highest bidder. Had this provision been signed into law, President Bush would have signed the largest invasion of financial privacy ever. I applaud Senate Democrats for catching this, and moving quickly to correct it.

I don't know why Istook inserted this provision into the spending bill. Honestly, I don't care what his reasoning is. The provision doesn't pass the smell test, especially in light of the rule changes passed in the House this week. Nothing Istook says will justify allowing Congress to review private citizens' tax information without permission and without notifying the taxpayer.

I hope Bill Frist will be true to his word and hold him accountable.