House Ways and Means Committee

The IRS reported auditing nearly 1 million tax returns in FY 2018, about 0.5% of 196 million tax returns filed during that year’s filing season.

In today’s Federal Newscast, members of Congress introduced a bill to allow military servicemembers to sue the DoD for instances of medical malpractice unrelated to their military duties.

The five-week partial government shutdown couldn’t have come at a worse time for the IRS, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson had told Congress, but following a House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee hearing Thursday, she said she remains uncertain as to whether the shutdown’s impact would warrant pushing back this year’s filing season deadline.

In today’s Federal Newscast, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it avoided handing out more than $4.5 billion in improper payments under one of its signature programs in fiscal 2018.

In today’s Federal Newscast, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-Texas) says there will be a bill next month to begin restructuring the IRS.

GAO report found SSA in violation of Federal Vacancies Reform Act after agency goes 5 years without appointed commissioner, or even a nominee.

The Social Security Administration has a new plan to modernize five major IT systems, to the tune of $300 million. SSA Chief Information Officer Robert Klopp said the agency could make headway on the plan within a year, as long as it gets the funding it needs from Congress. The House, however, is poised to cut SSA’s budget by $250 million this year.

Congress and members in the federal community are at a standstill over how to change the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) for federal employees and retirees in the Civil Service Retirement System. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady had a bill that would lessen the WEP penalty, but last-minute changes to the legislation derailed its official introduction to Congress.

Four bills aimed at improving IRS accountability passed the House Ways and Means Committee, but not without strenuous objections.

Democrats and Republicans both agree the Postal Service needs congressional help to better its budget, but getting there is a tougher problem.