HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

Washington, Sep 23, 2009 -

            WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced it would terminate ACORN’s participation in the agency’s
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program:

            “For the second time in less than two weeks, a federal agency has severed its ties with ACORN.  The IRS has rightly recognized that this troubled organization has no place advising hard-working Americans on tax-related matters.  I’d like to applaud Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) and Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) for their efforts in holding the IRS accountable on this critical issue. 

            “The decisions by the Census Bureau and the IRS are clear indications President Obama should use his authority to end all federal funding to and break all government ties with ACORN. In the meantime, every federal agency should carefully re-evaluate its relationship with ACORN to ensure this corrupt outfit does no further harm to the public trust.”

            NOTE: House Republicans have sent a letter to President Obama asking him to use his authority to end all funding to and break all government ties with ACORN. An analysis of federal data by the Office of the Republican Leader staff determined that ACORN has received more than $56 million in direct funding from the federal government since 1994, and has likely received substantially more indirectly through states and localities that receive federal block grants.  Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3571, the Defund ACORN Act, a measure introduced by Leader Boehner to stop all federal funding of ACORN.