What solution is there . Even if you had a fair tax or flat tax, youve still got to have an i. R. S. And i love Arthur Laffer, reagans economic advisor, he said, you dont have to have the i. R. S. Do away with it. The problem with the i. R. S. Is of course theyre going to get arrogant because they pick who theyre going to audit, just like weve seen with all these abuses, they put they pick what all they are going to audit, just as weve been hearing, they get so intrusive, so personal, and then they decide what your punishment is going to be. Theres no other area in america, and i sure dont think the think the founders anticipated that the i. R. S. Or any entity would exist that could be the prosecutor, the judge, the jury, and the executioner all. And thats why Arthur Laffer says, you need to get rid of the i. R. S. And have an Auditing Agency thats a fraction of the size of the i. R. S. , they dont get to pick who they audit, thats done completely at random they never get to pick who they audit, and they never get to decide what their auditing what will be done with their auditing. It has to be passed on to justice or the collection of the taxes if they have not been paid. They never get to participate in that. And i like the way that sounds, especially the more we hear about the abuses of people that are just freedomloving americans. So i appreciate very much my friend taking this time so we could talk about the i. R. S. And i realize that he knew when he signed up for this hour, that there would be others come and that he was risking, its a brave thing because hes risking an audit as we go in because he knows better than anybody just how abusive the i. R. S. Can get. But i yield back to my friend, mr. Flores. Mr. Flores i appreciate the mr. Speaker, i appreciate the comments of mr. Gohmert and he raises an issue all americans need to be concerned about, the invasion of privacy we expect to have under the constitution. When you have an i. R. S. Thats looking into your personal records. Mr. Speaker, i was i did get a letter from think i. R. S. About six weeks after i wrote my letter to the i. R. S. , demanding an answer for what they were doing to the waco tea party. I think theyre targeting everybody, they dont care who they target. It seems like theyre on a mission to try to squelch opposition to this administrations policy. Now id like to recognize a brand new freshman member from florida, mr. Desantos from florida 6. Hes going to share some stories bt what his constituents have experienced with the i. R. S. I thank the mr. Desantos i thank the gentleman from texas. The power to tax is the power to destroy. When you have the government using that taxing power to target individual americans based on their exercise of First Amendment rights, that really is the utmost seriousness in terms of the threat that that represents to constitutional government. I received a letter from one of my constituents a couple of weeks back, carol mcmanus, and she is a leader in a conservative group in northeast florida and theyre basically dedicated toward educating about constitutional government, individual freedom, the rule of law, traditional american principles, youd think that would be something that we would be applaud applauding, especially in this day and age. Well, they had to go through this situation with the i. R. S. They submitted an application and they waited for a month, three months, six months, a year. It took 18 months for the i. R. S. To respond to their inquiry. When the i. R. S. Responded, did they approve the group as would be a matter of course particularly for groups that were recognized as representing a liberal perspective . No. They were given a list of very intrusive questions about the operation of their group. I actually saw this firsthand during the 2012 election season because i went just to shake hands with some folks one night, just to see how people were doing and all the group leaders, they were scared that i was there. Because they didnt want to get hit by the i. R. S. They didnt want to do anything wrong. So what the i. R. S. Was able to do, by stretching this out, by submitting all these intrusive questions, they really chilled these folks from feeling confident, being able to exercise their First Amendment rights. And they did look scared of what could happen to them just because i happened to show up. Even though its not a partisan event. I was just shaking hands, we were just talking about stuff. I appreciate the gentleman from Texas Organizing this hour. The frustrating thing about it is yes, you may have impropriety in any Given Administration but what we have now with the i. R. S. , we have a lot of career bureaucrat who was their own ideological bent, people like Lois Berner Lerner who take it upon themselves to target groups they think deserve targeting. The problem with that is, nobody elected lois lerner to anything. Shes a nameless, feasless bureaucrat that youve just got to hope the point of view that youre trying to pursue is not one she finds objectable. And that, that lack of accountable accountability, not knowing whether the bureaucracy will come down on you, thats a problem with the i. R. S. , its a problem with any of these agencies, quite frankly. I think the more the americans understand the threat posed by a runaway bureaucracy, i think the better. Id like to see some farreaching reforms so were protecting taxpayers, were protecting american citizens in the exercise of their right, and you know what . If the bureaucracy steps out of bounds, there ought to be consequences for that. The idea that somehow lois lerner is going to retire with full pay and benefits and not having been held responsible at all, even though she couldnt testify in front of the oversight committee, i think that rubs a lot of americans wrong. So i think the i thank the gentleman from texas for organizing this and i really appreciate the attention that you focused on this issue. So mr. Speaker, i will yield back gentleman from texas. Back to the gentleman from texas. Mr. Flores i thank the gentleman for that heart felt if today. Id also like to thank him for his years of service to the u. S. Navy and current member of the United States naval reserve. We appreciate having people like this that serve our country and you know, its a shame that americans who serve their country, whether theyre in congress or just a member of a local tea party, are targeted. Because of the fact that they are concerned about whats happening in washington. Whats happening from an administration or from the nameless, faceless bureaucrats you heard about a few minutes ago. Mr. Speaker, may i inquire how much time we have left . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman has 13 minutes remaining. Mr. Flores thank you, mr. Speaker. We have as i told you at the outset of this conversation, we have many letters that weve received from folks all over this country and im not going to read all of these letters but what im going to do is turn them in to be incorporated into the record of tonights proceedings. Amen, er is from abortion must end now, that talks about how they were targeted. The tea party of south jersey talked about how they were targeted. You heard mr. Desantos from florida talk about the First Coast Tea Party and how they were targeted. Their letter will be part of the record. Even folks out in hawaii, the hawaii tea party writes in and talk about their experiences with the i. R. S. He kentucky 9 12 group has written in to talk about it. The Manassas Tea Party next door here in virginia, has written in to talk about how long it took for them to have their application reviewed and how they were bullied and insulted. You heard mr. Lankford talk about the o. K. C. Tea party of patriots in action association. Well enter their letter into the record. Patriots educating concerned americans now, pecan for short, in california. We got a letter from them. The rhone county tea party from tennessee, got a letter from them. We have a letter from the San Fernando Valley patriots in california that talks about the i. R. S. Treatment and the abuse. Actually, this one is sort of interesting because it has a poem. Im going to read this one if its ok with you. Again, this is from the San Fernando Valley patriots in california. This letter starts with a poem entitled our grass roots voice by karen kenny, coordinator, San Fernando Valley patriots. The voices of the san fernando patriots are deferent from our voice, we are democratsing republicans, independents, but patriots all. But our voice is a whisper against the roar that is this government. We began as a Tea Party Group in may of 2009 here in los angeles. Born from the tax burdens from within the american recovery and reinvestment act. A government too big makes each citizen small, we thought. The First Amendment would offer a platform for us to speak politically. But we were wrong. Our government unsheathed its sword, the i. R. S. The i. R. S. Did what tirne does, threaten and control. The questionnaire sent to us were consuming but their intent to test our resolve. But liberty prefers to stand and to be heard. We held more than 85 events in two grires donations drop and costs rose. We could afford fewer speakers, rallies and handouts. In july, 2012, we withdrew our application for tax exemplet status but the i. R. S. After 20 months of delays and read tape. We must now pay nonprofit taxes in california, the minimum is 800 annually. We have little money but more people. On june 4, 2014, the ways and Means Committee heard our voice. Ow our voice is stronger and more here. Heres their letter. On june 4, 2013, we told our story to the ways and Means Committee. We did not plead the fifth. We did not hide the facts. We did not lie. Our voice rose against the tyranny that is the i. R. S. Scandal. We told the truth of how a government too big makes each citizen small. We told the truth of abuse of power by the fist of a grinding bureaucracy. We spoke of demand and delay tactics that cut our funds and public face. The i. R. S. Kept pounding and we stopped our application for tax relief but we did not stop meet, teaching and talking about the constitution. Now we have fewer speakers, fewer rallies, fewer resources but our resolve is undaunted. You see, we stand firmly with the First Amendment, not the fifth. God bless this nation, god bless its people, god bless our inlerity lib tertirk our liberty. Karen kenny, San Fernando Valley patriots. We have a letter from a group in ohio, a letter from unite in action in tennessee. We have the watumpka tea party in alabama wrote in about their treatment at the hands of an overreaching i. R. S. The Liberty Township tea party has written nesm Richmond Tea Party from next door in virginia has a letter they want to meshes to know about. The rochester tea Party Patriots in minnesota. The greater phoenix tea Party Patriots in arizona have written in. Mr. Speaker, those are a handful of the letters written in this will be part of this record of tonights proceedings. If we have on our website at flores. House. Gov we have a timetable of when the i. R. S. Started this and what processes they went through and the lies told to the American People about what they were doing. And then we also have some testimony about when they came clean and when the i. R. S. Officials started to resign. It would be fascinating for americans to be able to see that. Mr. Speaker, the i. R. S. Is supposed to enforce our tax laws with integrity and fairness yet here we are six months later and the Obama Administration has done nothing more than to try to ride out the storm without taking action. Loyslerner and doug shulman resigned from the i. R. S. , however, they are still entitled to hi the rest of their lives living on the backs of hardworking american taxpayerers that they abused when they were with the i. R. S. Mr. Speaker, folks like lerner and shulman should never be allowed to get away with their bhayor like this and get on federal retirement. The i. R. S. Must stop targeting certain individuals an fwroups were partisan reasons. It is time that the administration gives congress the information that we requested over and over and over again so that the American People will know the facts and that theyll know these practices are no longer being done. Americans deserve and demand transparencies from Government Agencies as well as compliance with law and with the constitution. My colleagues and i remain committed to finding answers and putting a stop to this injustice. Mr. Speaker, id like for every federal bureaucrat that has tried to abuse the American People to have to submit their testimony with this same language that they requested from these Everyday Americans that were just trying to stand up and exercise their First Amendment rights. Id like them to say, under penalties of perjury, i declare i have examined this information, including the accompanying docksyumets and to the best of my knowledge and belief the information and relevant facts relating to the requests for information and such facts are true, correct, an complete. This is what lois lerner should have had to provide, not plead he fifth. My colleagues remain committed to finding answers. Mr. Speaker, i thank you for allowing us to bring this issue back to the forefront and to demand action. We reassure the American Public that the i. R. S. And other federal agencies will not scrutinize individuals and groups for ideological and partisan reasons. I ask americans to pray for heir country and for our first responders. God bless america and i yield back. I ask unanimous consent to insert the letters that we received tonight into the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection. The gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Under the speakers announced policy of january 3, 2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Rohrabacher, for 30 minutes. Mr. Rohrabacher there is a piece of legislation that will be going through the Judiciary Committee on wednesday that the American People need to be alerted about. It goes to the heart of our prosperity and our National Security and right to the heart of the wellbeing of average americans. Our Founding Fathers believed with technology, freedom and and with the profit motive, all of those things would uplift humankind and this would make america a great nation. In fact, they wrote into our constitution a guarantee, a mandate that guarantees the rights of inventors and oughtorses. The its the only place in the body of the constitution, article 1, section 8, clause 8 of the constitution of the United States. The Congress Shall have the power to plow minnesota the power of science and useful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their discoveries. This leads to a general prosperity, National Security and also to the decent living of average people. This is compared to the angst yites and the Horror Stories that the common man was living in when the constitution was written in. Throughout the world, ordinary people lived in poverty and lived under the repression and in a constant state of oppression. What broke this cycle of repression and deprivation and built a great country here in the United States and great example to the world was freedom and technology, yes, and guaranteed freedom and technology through the rule of law through our constitution. The americans worked hard to build this great country, yes, but thats not what made the difference. Thats not what made us a great country of how we broke out of that cycle that mankind suffered for so long. What made the difference is that technology, multiplied the results of the hard work of our people. People have been working hard since the old times. People work hard all over the world. What the difference is that americans brought technology to bear on these problems multiplying the creation of wealth. And thus, the uplifting of ordinary people. And it was our strong patent system that ensured that technology and freedom would work its magic. And this now, we can see we have had the strongest and the best patent system throughout our countrys history and it has been heralded throughout the world. Yet, today, multinational corporations some of them run by theycans, whose allegiance have, but these huge multinational corporations want to diminish the patent protection of the American People. In my 25 years, battles have been fought over and over again, often turned back sometimes through compromise. But these efforts over the last 25 years have been aimed at dramatically weakening our patent system. So, basically, the argument has been made over and over again, we need to harm nidse americas patent system with the rest of the world. We have rights that are guaranteed. Our rights to speech and prayer. We never think about harmonizing those. We want to have the strongest constitutional protections but now these Big Companies want to weaken the protection of intellectual property by harmonizing our law with the weaker laws in japan and europe. If they want to armonize laws, they want to strengthen their aws so the americans are protected. How does that play out and specifically how they want to change the law . Well, first of all, it has been an american tradition unlike japan and in europe that it that basicall