(Euugreoa nf the ?nite?! .?'tntea Washington, 3341' 20515 April 30, 2020 The Honorable Charles P. Rettig Commissioner Internal Revenue Service U.S. Department of the Treasury 11 11 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 3241 Washington, DC 20224 The Honorable Steven Mnuchin Secretary U.S. Department of the Treasury 1500 Avenue, NW, Room 3134 Washington, DC 20220 Dear Commissioner Rettig and Secretary Mnuchin, We write regarding the inaccessibility of Treasury?s Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) status checker and information update portals to constituents without broadband connectivity. These payments, as conceived and authorized by the CARES Act, are designed to support vulnerable Americans in an unprecedented time of need during this 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic. These options through IRS. gov are accessible only to Americans who have intemet access. This issue affects both constituents who are non-filers and constituents who need to update banking information or addresses in advance of receiving their EIPs. It is particularly stressful on non- filers, including Social Security bene?ciaries, Supplemental Security Income recipients, and veterans who have faced short deadlines with little notice by the agency to input information in order to receive the child add-on payment. Many of our constituents do not have access to broadband during this pandemic whatsoever. Low-income Americans often do not have internet in their homes and can no longer access school or public forum servers, such as libraries and community centers. In the rural areas we represent, this problem is even more pronounced. Entire communities do not have broadband infrastructure in place; with no access to broadband and normally-limited internet access points now completely closed for public safety and social distancing reasons, our rural constituents are entirely isolated and unable to access the website. IRS has indicated to us and our staffs on phone calls with the agency that without the ability to access the online portals, constituents will need to wait until next year?s tax filing season to claim the child add-on payment. We have also been told that there is not a clear system in place for constituents without intemet access to update their banking or address information for their basic EIP. We are aware that there is currently no telephone line option for these constituents to enter their information rather than using the online portal, and furthermore, that there is no plan to create a telephone option. This is shameful. Congress created these direct-to-individuals stimulus payments as a way to support the most vulnerable Americans often, rural and low- income Americans without other options for ?nancial support. These are the constituents most in desperate need of immediate relief they cannot wait. To this end, we ask you to respond to the following questions: 1. Is IRS willing to consider creating a telephone hotline option to serve these constituents who cannot access the portal? 2. We recognize that many IRS employees are working from home or furloughed; these same employees could be empowered to facilitate constituents? attempts to update their information and receive their EIPs in a timely fashion. Is there any plan in place to allow for this? 3. If neither of these options is feasible, can you please direct your agency to allow our constituent services representatives to work with our of?ces? respective IRS district liaisons to update information on constituents? behalf? We recognize that this option may entail new privacy release requirements. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Brittany Madni in Congressman Balderson?s office at should you have any questions. Sincerely, TROY BAL DERSON MEMBER OP CONGRESS MEMBER OP CONGRESS ADDITIONAL SIGNATURJES: REP. RIGGLEMAN REP. BRAD R. WENSTRUP, D.P.M. REP. JIM HAGEDORN REP. H. MORGAN GRIPPITH REP. MIKE BOST REP. ELAINE G. LURIA REP. MICHAEL R. TURNER REP. DAVID P. JOYCE REP. BILL FLORES REP. HERN REP. GLENN THOMPSON REP. GLENN GROTHMAN REP. ALEX X. MOONEY REP. FRED KELLER REP. MIKE KELLY REP. W. GREGORY STEUBE REP. BILL JOHNSON REP. ROBERT E. LATTA REP. BEN CLINE REP. SCOTT TIPTON