IRS Likely to Delay First Amendment squelching regulations

Citizens concerned about the IRS’ abuse of power against tea party organizations rose up and told the IRS to stop their assault on First Amendment rights in record numbers.

In response to the more than 150,000 comments (approximately 95 percent negative toward the regulation), IRS Commissioner John Koskinen noted, “That’s a record for an IRS rulemaking comment period. In fact, if you take all the comments on all Treasury and IRS draft proposals over the last seven years and double that number, you come close to the number of comments we are now beginning to review and analyze.”

Koskinen continued saying, “It’s going to take us a while to sort through all those comments, hold a public hearing, possibly repropose a draft regulation and get more public comments. This means that it is unlikely we will be able to complete this process before the end of the year.”

This changed timetable is a huge victory.

President Obama was demanding that this regulation be completed before the 2014 election, but instead 150,000 citizens stood up to him and demanded that the regulation be taken down.

SOURCE

Groups organized under the 501(c)(4) regulations of the tax code are usually conservative.  They campaign more for conservative causes rather than for particular candidates.  Donations to them are tax exempt.  Obama wants to narrow the definition of what they can do so that donations are no longer tax exempt.  By taking away a large part of their donations, he hopes to shut them up.  Labor unions doing political campaigns would face no such restrictions.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).