As tax season winds down, Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) today reintroduced two bills to improve the efficiency of the tax system for Americans. The Trust in Government Act directs the Department of Treasury to expand electronic tax filing and offer support via email; the Streamlining IRS Operations Act requires that tax returns filed on paper can be readily digitized. Both bills are co-led by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Kweisi Mfume (D-MD).

“Filing taxes and getting returns should be easy and efficient,” said Rep. Porter. “Modernizing the technology we use to process tax returns will ease the burden of paperwork and get Americans their money back sooner. I’m proud to work with Congressmen Connolly and Mfume on these bills to help government better serve the people.”

“The federal government is only as good as the quality of service it provides to the American people,” said Rep. Connolly. “So it is beyond imperative that the public interacts with a modern, accessible, and customer-focused government. That’s the goal we seek to achieve with the two critical pieces of legislation we are introducing today. I thank my friends Katie Porter and Kweisi Mfume for their partnership and relentless leadership on this issue.”

“As the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, ensuring our government is operating efficiently is a priority for me,” said Rep. Mfume. “The bills we introduced today will encourage federal agencies to improve the services they provide to everyday American citizens, including through streamlined Social Security Administration processes, simplified electronic tax filings, and a more efficient passport renewal system.”

The Trust in Government Act further directs 14 additional federal agencies to modernize how they serve the American public, including: 

• The Department of State setting up an online passport renewal process;
• The Department of Education creating a centralized loan repayment portal;
• The Department of Homeland Security reducing passenger wait times at airports;
• The Small Business Administration streamlining online disaster applications; and
• The Social Security Administration developing a mobile-accessible, online process for applying or receiving benefits.

Congresswoman Porter has been a consistent advocate for making government work better for the American people. She introduced legislation to hold TSA accountable and make it easier for parents to safely travel with breast milk. She successfully pushed her colleagues to invest in the IRS, allowing the agency to crack down on wealthy tax cheats, improve customer service, and get refunds back to Americans faster. Porter has also introduced legislation to ban Congressional stock trading and restore trust in the legislative branch. 

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