{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-questions-treasury-secretary-on-irs-politicization-tax-cuts-for-working-families-iran-and-retirement-security/", "Barrasso Questions Treasury Secretary on IRS Politicization, Tax Cuts for Working Families, Iran, and Retirement Security", "2026-06-03", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "barrasso", "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on preventing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) overreach, helping families access new tax cuts included in the Working Families Tax Cuts law, expanding access to low-cost retirement plans, and maintaining maximum economic pressure on Iran.\n\nSecretary Bessent spoke during today\u2019s Senate Finance Committee hearing to review President Trump\u2019s budget request for the Department of the Treasury for Fiscal Year 2027.\n\nOn IRS Politicization:\n\n\u201cThanks, Mr. Chairman. Well, talking about draining the swamp \u2013 I appreciate what you\u2019re doing, Mr. Secretary. Because you inherited a very troubling record of misconduct in terms of the IRS politicization.\n\n\u201cAnd you moved quickly. You championed the efforts to turn that around.\n\n\u201cWe saw under the Obama administration, the IRS spent years systematically targeting conservative nonprofit groups.\n\n\u201cTea Party groups. Faith-based organizations. Christians. Conservatives.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration \u2013 their IRS continued that same pattern.\n\n\u201cA recent Department of Justice report noted the Biden IRS investigated churches based on what their pastors preached.\n\n\u201cWe can go on and on \u2013 about the Bible teachings that were typically affiliated with the Republican party. Those were being attacked by previous administrations.\n\n\u201cSo, this wasn\u2019t, to me, tax administration. This was government intimidation.\n\n\u201cThe American people aren\u2019t standing for it.\n\n\u201cCan you tell us what the Treasury Department has done to ensure that something like this \u2013 that this targeting by the previous administration and the Obama administration as well \u2013 that these persecutions are going to stop?\u201d\n\nOn Tax Cuts Still Ahead:\n\n\u201cI want to talk about the tax cuts we were able to pass last year. And you were so helpful in our efforts to get the Working Families Tax Cuts bill passed.\n\n\u201cWe see now in the tax returns this year \u2013 over 60 million Americans have claimed at least one of these Republican new tax cuts.\n\n\u201cNo Tax on Tips. No Tax on Overtime. The Senior Deduction.\n\n\u201cRefunds were up. Paychecks are bigger. I think it\u2019s important for families to know all of the things that are in this legislation.\n\n\u201cYou and I have talked about it. But I continue to travel, as do other members, around our home states. And some people aren\u2019t aware of many of the things that are advantaged here.\n\n\u201cHow is the Treasury Department ensuring that families across the country can access everything that this law has to offer them?\u201d\n\nOn Retirement Security:\n\n\u201cI want to ask about the issue of retirement security. Because about 50 million Americans have no access to a workplace retirement plan.\n\n\u201cAnd in Wyoming, that\u2019s about 65,000 independent truckers, contractors, ranchers \u2013 other self-employed individuals as we see all across the country.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump recently signed an Executive Order to try to change that.\n\n\u201cThe order directs you and the Treasury to provide workers with access to low-cost retirement plans with matching federal contributions.\n\n\u201cUnder your leadership, Treasury is working on legislative recommendations to build on this framework \u2013 to help these individuals.\n\n\u201cWhat is your vision for helping to close that retirement coverage gap?\u201d\n\nOn Continuing Economic Pressure on Iran:\n\n\u201cAnd then a final question. And it\u2019s on continuing the economic pressure on Iran.\n\n\u201cThe President talks about \u2018Maximum Pressure.\u2019\n\n\u201cHow does your budget help ensure that Treasury has the tools that you need to keep that economic pressure?\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-04T06:38:12Z", "2026-06-04T06:39:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-questions-treasury-secretary-on-irs-politicization-tax-cuts-for-working-families-iran-and-retirement-security/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2155791521072388, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}