OMB Watch Disappointed With One-Sided Hearing on Anti-Terrorist Financing

On April 1, OMB Watch issued a press release objecting to a Senate Finance Committee hearing on anti-terrorism financing. During the hearing, Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) referenced a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report released May 2007 that suggested the Internal Revenue Service should screen U.S. charities against terrorist watch lists. Last June OMB Watch wrote to Treasury opposing the continual accusation that charities "are a significant source of alleged terrorist support." The OMB Watch press release states; "We call on the committee to remedy this error of omission by holding an oversight hearing into the damage to humanitarian aid and other charitable programs caused by current Treasury policies and procedures." During Baucus' opening remarks, he noted; "the Acting Commissioner did not give me a lot of confidence that the administration is being aggressive enough in establishing links between nonprofits and terrorism financing." A BNA Money and Politics ($$) article also records the opposition of OMB Watch to checking the watch lists for charities with connections to terrorism.
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