Ways And Means Passes Legislation To Overhaul Irs

The House Ways and Means Committee overwhelmingly passed legislation Wednesday intended to bring sweeping changes to the Internal Revenue Service, with members of both parties saying the bill would protect taxpayers and impose new management standards on the tax-collection agency.

By a 33-4 vote, the committee sent the bill to the full House, where it is likely to pass by a wide margin before Congress recesses next month. Despite growing pressure for the Senate to take up a similar measure this year, Sen. William Roth Jr. of Delaware, the chairman of the Finance Committee, said he would not have legislation ready to vote on until early next year.

Wednesday’s vote in the Ways and Means Committee followed by one day the Clinton administration’s decision to drop its opposition to the bill, which had already picked up considerable bipartisan support. All of the committee’s 23 Republicans voted for the bill, as did 10 of the 16 Democrats. Two Democrats did not vote.