Istook Releases Statement on IRS Snafu (contradicts previous words) [View All]

[grasswire]

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ok05_istook/IRStmt.html

Released Nov. 22

“I want to reiterate what I said on Sunday, namely that this was not my language. I then spent most of the day tracking down what happened.

“I had nothing to do with inserting this language. I never knew what was happening until it was done. Had I known, I would have intervened to omit or to fix this provision.

“I didn't write it; I didn't approve it; I wasn't even consulted. My name shouldn't be associated with it, because I had nothing to do with it, and didn't even know about it until after the bill was done and was filed.”

“We have a problem with how bills like this are put together. On occasions, appropriations staff will take the initiative to insert language they believe will be non-controversial. They do this with the approval of full committee staff, but without the knowledge or approval of subcommittee chairman like me. That is what happened in this case.

“We have a chain of command problem over whether the subcommittee staff are ultimately accountable to the full committee staff—who represent the full committee chairman—or to the subcommittee chairman. The subcommittee chairman should never be bypassed like I was in this case. I will work to fix this as part of the reorganization of the appropriations committee that will take place during the next several weeks.

Josh Marshall is on the story: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com