Dem Max Baucus wants IRS hearing

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus blasted the IRS in the wake of the agency admitting that conservative groups were targeted for increased scrutiny and pledged to hold hearings on the issue.
“The American people have questions for the IRS and I intend to get answers,” the Montana Democrat said. “The IRS will now be the ones put under additional scrutiny.”

“These actions by the IRS are an outrageous abuse of power and a breach of the public’s trust,” Baucus said. “Targeting groups based on their political views is not only inappropriate but it is intolerable.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WestVa.) called for those responsible for the targeting to be fired.
“The actions of the IRS are unacceptable and un-American. Government agencies using their bureaucratic muscle to target Americans for their political beliefs cannot be tolerated,” he said in a statement. “There must be a congressional investigation to determine how this happened and to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) called the targeting by the IRS “deeply troubling.”
“This was an outrageous abuse of power that goes against some of our nation’s founding principles,” she said in a statement. “The IRS cannot be in the business of singling out organizations based on their political beliefs, and the President should act quickly and decisively in holding those responsible for this abuse accountable.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) echoed the calls for hearings.
“These appalling actions by the IRS are completely unacceptable,” he said in a statement. “We need a quick but thorough investigation, and those who are found to have been responsible for this betrayal of the public trust should be fired.”  (Full Story)