IRS chief says training key to agency success

IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti this week told lawmakers that a "training deficit" is the number one problem his agency's employees face.

"Rectifying the training gap is absolutely critical," Rossotti said Thursday at a joint hearing of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology and the Subcommittee on National Economic Growth, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs.

The IRS is asking for $17 million in its budget request for training employees on tax law changes and for $140 million to implement the modernization plan called for in last year's IRS restructuring act. Improved training will enable employees to better help taxpayers solve problems, Rossotti said.

"The money in the budget request, including that part included within the modernization program, is essential and will only begin to rectify our training deficit," Rossotti told the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee on Tuesday. Rossotti also emphasized the need for employee training on Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee.

At Thursday's House hearing, lawmakers criticized the Clinton administration for failing to nominate anyone for the IRS management oversight board that was established in last year's reform law, which Congress passed in July. The law gave the administration six months to make nominations to the nine-member board, which will include six outside management experts, the IRS commissioner, the Secretary of the Treasury and an IRS employee union representative.

The White House says the six-month deadline was unrealistic and that the administration is vetting potential candidates for the board.