January 29,2008

Grassley secures commitment from IRS nominee to consider veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan for vacant jobs at agency

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Grassley secures commitment from IRS nomineeto consider veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan for vacant jobs at agency

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Committee onFinance, won assurances today from the nominee for IRS Commissioner to try to hire 1,000 Iraq andAfghanistan veterans for agency positions during the upcoming fiscal year.

“It’s important for the federal government to do everything it can to help returning servicemen and women, including many who are disabled, find employment. In turn, veterans offer atalented and dedicated work force,” Grassley said. “These are extraordinary young men and women,and our country is honored by their service. The IRS is facing a skilled worker shortage, and itseems obvious that the agency could benefit from veterans’ experience, energy and ‘can do’attitude.”

It’s anticipated that the IRS will lose a significant number of experienced personnel andskilled staff to retirement over the next few years. Grassley said it makes sense for the agency toactively pursue this kind of opportunity “to help veterans and improve taxpayer services.”Grassley said he would pursue any legislative changes needed to assist a hire-veterans effortby the IRS, though he also said he’s confident that the tax-collection agency already has authorityto undertake this kind of initiative.

Grassley presented his proposal and received a willing response from the IRS nominee,Douglas Schulman, during a Finance Committee nomination hearing this morning. Grassley saidhe looks forward to receiving feedback on how the incoming commissioner would conduct outreach,job classifications and reclassifications, notification and work with veterans’ organizations and theDepartments of Veterans Affairs and Defense.

Grassley has a long record of working to improve services provided by the IRS. He workedto establish the IRS Restructuring Commission and win passage of IRS overhaul legislation tenyears ago. He previously co-authored numerous taxpayer bills of rights, and he has conducted activeoversight of the agency from his leadership position on the tax policy committee in the United StatesSenate.