Washington, D.C. — 

Following the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) announcement today that it will revise previously proposed rules for 501(c)4 organizations, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement:

“I am pleased that the IRS has listened to those of us who warned that the proposed 501(c)4 regulations would continue the unacceptable pattern of stifling political free speech by this administration. The IRS received more than 150,000 comments on this regulation, which sent a strong message to the IRS that it shouldn’t be in the business of restricting First Amendment rights. Scrapping the proposed rule was long overdue, and the IRS would be wise to shift its attention and resources on the real problems facing the agency, such as improving customer service, preventing tax-related identity theft, and addressing IRS employee misconduct.”