Letter to Chris Van Hollen, Senate Appropriations Committee Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman; and Cindy Hyde-Smith, Senate Appropriations Committee Financial Services Subcommittee Ranking Member - Hickenlooper Urges IRS to Help Get Money Out of Politics

Letter

Dear Chairman Van Hollen and Ranking Member Hyde-Smith:

We respectfully request that you not include any riders prohibiting the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from promulgating rules related to political spending in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill.

Since Citizens United, a flood of dark money has entered our political system. 501(c)(4) organizations are often the beneficiaries of these funds, using them to engage in political activity.

Past appropriations bills have included several objectionable policy riders, including a rider preventing the IRS from revising or issuing new rules governing the political spending of 501(c)(4) organizations. These riders render the IRS unable to provide clear guidance to nonprofits on what types of activities are permissible. These riders are unnecessary because the rulemaking process itself provides ample opportunities for public debate and dissent to ensure that the rulemaking reflects the interests of the public.

To ensure that the FY 2023 FSGG bill enables agencies to effectively carry out their duties and serve the American people, we urge you to refrain from including policy riders that would impede the IRS's ability to proceed with necessary and appropriate rules governing political activity.

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