Champion free speech by preventing IRS abuse: Column

It is an immutable truth: An ever-more powerful government creates ever-more opportunities for politicians to abuse the trust placed in them by the American people. That’s why Congress should be praised for seeking to eliminate an especially worrisome power at the Internal Revenue Service, an agency that has a long, unfortunate history of being abused by Republicans and Democrats alike to target their political opponents. Late last month, Illinois Republican Rep. Peter Roskam introduced the “Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act,” which would prevent the IRS from forcing non-profit organizations to annually submit lists of their supporters. It passed the House Ways and Means Committee on April 28 and will soon be taken up by the full House of Representatives.