Washington, D.C.--Sixth District Congressman Frank Lucas enthusiastically supported passage of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Restructuring and Reform Act today in the House of Representatives. The Act would overhaul the management, administration, and oversight structure of the IRS.

"American Taxpayers have been asked to tolerate the misdirected managerial objectives and the lack of customer service of the IRS for far too long," Lucas said. AThis legislation will put the burden of proof on the IRS instead of on the American taxpayer. Where in this country, outside of the IRS, do we allow a credo of 'guilty until proven innocent'? And why is that allowed?

"H.R. 2676 broadly reforms the agency in the areas of executive branch governance and personnel flexibilities, electronic filing, taxpayer rights and congressional oversight," Lucas continued.

If passed in the Senate in its present form and approved by the President, the bill will create an oversight board to review IRS daily operations and approve agency reorganization plans. H.R. 2676 makes it a felony for members of the executive branch to demand an IRS audit for political purposes and discourages Congress from passing legislation that would further complicate the U.S. tax code.

"This legislation will make it easier for citizens to seek recourse against the IRS," Lucas said. "H.R. 2676 will help individual taxpayers in their dealings with the IRS while helping the economy as a whole by better managing the nation's most bureaucratic of its bureaucracies."