{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/hr4903-114/featured_to-prohibit-the-use-of-funds-by-the-internal-revenue-service-to-target-citizens-of-the-united-states-for-exerci-1461142928.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/hr4903-114/featured_large_to-prohibit-the-use-of-funds-by-the-internal-revenue-service-to-target-citizens-of-the-united-states-for-exerci-1461142928.jpg","shareable":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/hr4903-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2016-04-12","title_override":"Should it be Illegal for the IRS to Target Taxpayers for Exercising Their First Amendment Rights?","summary_override":"

This bill would prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from targeting American citizens for exercising any right that is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.

It was introduced in response to the IRS targeting scandal that was revealed in 2013, where the agency selected the applications of political groups for additional scrutiny based on their names or political themes they focused on.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and the press:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

","official_title":"To prohibit the use of funds by the Internal Revenue Service to target citizens of the United States for exercising any right guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.","short_title":null,"popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)\n\n(Sec. 1) This bill prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from using funds to target U.S. citizens for exercising any right guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Taxpayers who might have otherwise been targeted by the IRS for additional scrutiny; and the IRS.","argument_for":"Given the IRS’ history of being used to weaken political opponents Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the agency doesn’t infringe on Americans’ rights.","argument_against":"Clearly the IRS shouldn’t be infringing on the constitutional rights of citizens, so this bill is merely trying to undermine the agency while stating the obvious.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr4903-114","bill_id":"hr4903-114","formal_id":"H.R. 4903","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2016-04-20T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2016-04-19T18:55:56.000Z","debated_on":"2016-04-18T00:00:00.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/4903","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr4903rfs/html/BILLS-114hr4903rfs.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/hr4903-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/4903/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2016-04-20","related_bill_ids":["s965-114"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":218,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Finance","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFI","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr4903-114","details":"/api/bills/hr4903-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr4903-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr4903-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr4903-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":0,"slug":"hr4903-114-to-prohibit-the-use-of-funds-by-the-internal-revenue-service-to-target-citizens-of-the-united-states-for-exercising-any-right-guaranteed-under-the-fir","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":1665,"yea_vote_count":1320,"nay_vote_count":342,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["government","taxes"],"issue_ids":["government","the-constitution","federal-agencies","taxes"],"sponsor_id":21}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"government","name":"Government","slug":"government","description":"Federal legislation related to the operations of the US Federal Government. 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But then again that's what all branches of this government has been doing for a long time and congress let's them. You all will be gone come election time","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.countable.us/positions/ed358380-0c9d-483a-a06d-53e1fc082b25"},"body":"Why are they allowed to violate the constitution??? But then again that's what all branches of this government has been doing for a long time and congress let's them. You all will be gone come election time","stance":"yea","created_at":"2016-04-21T18:38:01.884Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/positions/ed358380-0c9d-483a-a06d-53e1fc082b25.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr4903-114","user_id":"emQ2q579","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should it be Illegal for the IRS to Target Taxpayers for Exercising Their First Amendment Rights?