Ranking Member Lewis Opening Statement at Oversight Subcommittee Hearing on IRS Electronic Record Retention Policies

(Remarks as prepared)

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing. I would also like to thank our witnesses for being here today.

As the broader Ways and Means Committee discusses tax reform, our Subcommittee will play a very important role in improving the Internal Revenue Service.

Today's hearing will examine IRS policies to store, archive, and produce records—including electronic mail. We will also review the IRS' ability to respond to legal, Freedom of Information Act, or third party requests—including those from Members of Congress.

In 2015, the agency received over 10,000 FOIA requests and closed over 99 percent within an average of 23 business days. The few requests that took longer than 20 business days generally involved privacy or other legal issues that prevented a timely response.

We all agree that Federal agencies must process and reply to any request for relevant electronic and other records in a timely manner. For any agency—including the IRS—information technology (IT) is key to meeting this standard. This is one of the many reasons that Congress must ensure that the agency's IT systems are not only fully funded, but also fully staffed.

Since 2010, Congress cut this agency's budget by almost $1 billion. In the last five years, the agency's IT budget was cut by $71 million, and it lost nearly 290 IT employees. Many of you heard me say it many times—you cannot get blood from a turnip.

Earlier this month, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a report on the IRS' electronic record retention policies and IT systems. The report made five recommendations. The IRS agreed with all five. As we move forward, we must remember these lessons learned and IT system needs.

Mr. Chairman, together we began a good, inclusive process, and I hope that we will continue our bipartisan work to improve the IRS. Again, I thank you for holding this hearing, and I look forward to the witnesses' testimony.

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