In non-war on women news, the war on senior citizens wages on, with three GOP lawmakers now officially requesting that the IRS
investigate the AARP.
In a letter sent to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman Friday, Reps. Wally Herger (R-Calif.), Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) and Charles Boustany (R-La.) say a recent congressional probe “gave rise to a number of serious concerns regarding AARP’s organizational structure and activities, and it raised questions about whether AARP continues to qualify as a tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Service Code (IRC) 501(c)4.”
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In the letter, the lawmakers ask Shulman to investigate eight separate questions involving the legitimacy of AARP’s tax-exempt status. Federal tax law requires non-profits to meet a complex set of criteria to qualify for an exemption from taxes.
In an op-ed in POLITICO earlier this month, former House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Bill Tauzin (R-La.) implored Republicans not to push for an end to AARP’s tax status on both policy and political grounds.
“[I]f one of the largest non-profits in existence becomes an expendable political casualty for short-term political gain coming out of congressional hearings, every non-profit organization would be left wondering if they’re going to face similar inquiries,” Tauzin wrote. “This won’t help Republicans long-term and it won’t help seniors in the short term.”
Curiously, it's also not likely to help Rep. Dave Reichert, the Republican from Washington's 8th district that has narrowly survived the last three elections in his swing district, one that will probably turn bluer after redistricting this year. Reichert has been politically careful to the point of being useless in his political career. Sticking his neck out to this degree is definitely not typical Reichert, who must be looking for the next career move, assuming he won't have a friendly House district any more. Not that Washington's seniors would be more receptive to Reichert in, say, a run for governor.
Aside from whatever tea leaves can be read for 2012, this is teahadist politics all the way, retribution for the AARP's support for the Affordable Care Act, pure and simple.
So maybe it's time for the IRS to start investigating the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "a non-profit membership organization representing the unified interests of U.S. business before Congress, government agencies, and the courts" and all of its 2010 election activities.