Congressman Danny K. Davis Statement Supporting H.R. 7227, the Taxpayer First Act

WASH, DC - Congressman Davis released the following statement in support of the Taxpayer First Act, "I applaud Representatives Lewis, Neal, Jenkins and Brady for leading the Taxpayer First Act that prioritizes taxpayer needs.

In particular, I commend your leadership to protect low-income individuals and families from private debt collectors. I was deeply disturbed by the report of the Taxpayer Advocate that found that Private Debt Collection enforcement increased the profits of debt collectors at the expense of the disabled, retirees, and impoverished counter to IRS policy and decency.

I thank you for including my bill with Mr. Curbelo to permanently authorize the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program – or VITA. The VITA program provides high-quality tax help to hard-working families so they can keep more of their hard-earned money. It offers free tax services to people who make less than 250 percent of the poverty level and to underserved taxpayers, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speakers. It is a prime example of smart federal investment because each federal dollar is matched by the private sector.

The Taxpayer First Act also includes many other long-overdue improvements to the IRS, and I thank Ranking Member Lewis and Chairman Jenkins for their leadership."

Congressman Davis is the Ranking Member of the Human Resources Subcommittee on the House Ways and Means Commitee