The more we learn, the more starkly apparent it is that the IRS has abused its power, broken the American people’s trust, and needs to be held directly accountable. This week, the House of Representatives is considering several bills to do just that.

Holding the IRS accountable:

• H.R. 5418 – Prohibits IRS employees from using personal e-mails and other electronic communications to conduct any official business of the government as a means of intentionally bypassing recordkeeping laws.
• H.R. 5419 - Requires the IRS to allow organizations denied tax-exempt status to directly appeal to the IRS’s Appeals Office -- thus bypassing the initial appeals process through the Exempt Organizations Division, which denied the tax-exempt request. In addition to requesting the direct administrative appeal, an organization may also request a conference with the IRS related to the appeal.
• H.R. 5170 – Creates a process for firing federal employees—after thorough investigation— who willfully and unlawfully destroy federal records and restricts top White House employees in using non-official electronic messaging accounts. Additionally, this bill requires agencies to publicly disclose on their websites when official records have been lost.
• H.R. 5420 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the release of information regarding the status of certain investigations.

I have been relentless in calling for accountability at the IRS – through appointing an independent special counsel to the investigation into IRS abuse, and by prohibiting the massive expansion of the IRS required to implement the President’s healthcare law. Additionally, I supported a bill, H.R. 2531, to prohibit the IRS from asking taxpayers questions regarding religious, political, or social beliefs.

Last week, I spent some time touring several of the different manufacturing plants we are fortunate to have in the Fourth District. One of the things that struck me, as I met with employees and toured the different facilities, was the stark difference between the way Washington operates and the way these manufacturing plants operate. In Washington, it’s all about talk. The air is stagnant with clunky bureaucracy and inefficiency. Here at the manufacturing plants in the Fourth District, the air crackles with energy and efficiency. There’s less talk and more action, more building, more creating value.

Below is a roundup of photos, so you can see what I saw during my tour:

The Port of Virginia is one of our most unique and valuable assets in the Fourth District of Virginia. As the Panama Canal expands to allow the passage of the large cargo vessels known as Post-Panamax ships, it is important to note that the Port of Virginia is one of the few deep-water ports already able to accommodate such vessels. However, the maintenance and improvement of crane, rail, and trucking infrastructure remains critical for the Port to handle the increased volume of cargo the Post-Panamax ships carry. Ships will only come to the Port if the channel is deep enough and the Port can receive and process their cargo in a timely and efficient way.

Ensuring that these transportation links are not only working, but growing, will give us tremendous economic opportunities. That’s why I spearheaded the creation of the bipartisan Congressional Panama Canal Expansion Caucus to assess the impact the expansion will have on U.S. ports and inland infrastructure. The Caucus will highlight steps that Congress needs to take to make sure our nation's ports are prepared for a new era of commerce, and to ensure the United States remains a global leader in commerce and transportation.

Reinvigorating American manufacturing is crucial to the economic future of our country. We need to create a national manufacturing strategy that strengthens U.S. companies by reducing burdensome taxes and regulations, and preserves the rich manufacturing heritage of this country.