Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on Maryland Joining the IRS's Direct File Program to Lower Costs for Taxpayers

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined Maryland officials Governor Wes Moore, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-03), and U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo for a press conference hosted by Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman on Maryland joining IRS' Direct File program for the 2025 tax filing season. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here for a full video of the press conference.

"Well, I adopt all but the last remarks of Congressman Cardin. That would shorten the program, but you're all going to be disappointed that I don't do that. But I'm very very pleased to be here. I'm very pleased to be here with Members of the Delegation. Senator Cardin, who is leaving us, who's one of the great senators that has ever represent the state of Maryland. John's father was another one… You may not have heard, I said John's father was another one of those, and Barbara Mikulski, and so many other Members of the United States Senate, who Maryland has been so proud of. And Chris Van Hollen, of course, is part of that from my part of the state. And Chris, thank you very much for being my partner.

"What Senator Cardin said was that we chair the financial services and general government subcommittees of the appropriations committees, having about $30 billion, give or take, under our egest. And he and I have joined together in ensuring that we have the resources necessary to leave no taxpayer behind. To leave no person behind. And I want to say how proud all of us are as a federal delegation to be able to say we are from the state that is represented by Governor Wes Moore.

"This program is a voluntary program for states to participate in. And I am not surprised that Maryland has been one of the first states to step up and say, "We want this program for our people." And Brooke Lierman, our comptroller, thank you very much for your leadership in running, probably the most exciting - How exciting can the comptroller's office be? Brooke Lierman has made it an exciting office in which to work and which to be benefited by in terms of making sure, as she said, our state is going to be the first and best in terms of making it easy to file. And I certainly want to thank Derek Davis, our state treasurer. People don't understand how important the Board of Public Works is in our state. Now, there's one person that understands very well how important the Public Works is, and that's our governor, because the comptroller and treasurer make up our Board of Public Works. They do the state's business essentially, and one of the state's businesses is making sure that we have the revenues and making it easy to pay. Nobody likes taxes. They may be surer things, but we don't really get excited about paying our taxes. But we know that it is price of our democracy.

"But we ought to make it as easy as possible for people to comply with a legal obligation that they have to support their country, their state, and their communities. And this system of direct file does that. Now let me say that I have another title in the House of Representatives is I head up the [Regional] Leadership Council. The Leadership Council is to communicate to the American people what we have done for and with them. And the overall rubric is Investing in America. But in that process, we've invested in the people of America, in the people of Maryland. And that's what this program is.

"And Mr. Secretary, I talked to the president this morning, he said this was a big deal. That's not exactly what he said, but that you're here. That you're here. Wally Adeyemo is one of the stars of the Executive Office of President. He has one of the most important responsibilities of any official in our government. He deals internationally and he deals domestically. And Mr. Secretary we very much appreciate all you have done working with the House of Representatives to make sure that, a, our citizens know what we have done for them and with them from which they can get benefit.

"And very frankly, Mr. Secretary, we kept millions and millions of people on a payroll at the darkest days of the pandemic and trying to get out of that pandemic. Then we invested in infrastructure so that we created good jobs and build our economy and jobs. And then we said, "We're going to be competitive internationally," with the chips and manufacturing bill, Chips and Science bill, and made a big investment in the growth of America.

"But when people are working, they owe taxes. And we don't want them to have to go to some outside - some people have a lot of money, have very complicated taxes and they do that. But the average person, the average working man and woman in America has their taxes taken out every week or every bi-week or every month. So, they don't need some complicated system. What they need is just, "Okay, how do I do this? I'm a law-abiding Maryland, I'm a patriot, I love my country and I want to pay my taxes. My fair share." Fair share, being the key word. And we want to make it easy for them. And that's what Direct File does, as Senator Cardin explained.

"And I am so proud that, and not surprised that our comptroller, that our governor, and our treasurer, wanted to make sure that we stepped up to the bar to make it easier for Marylanders to perform their duties and do so correctly and not be worried about it, not agonize, "Oh, have I done something wrong here?" No. They're going to be helped to do, and we made it easy to do, and, by the way, millions of Americans that have also already participated - because there were twelve states that participated in the pilot program - here have already received substantial millions of dollars back in refunds that they may not otherwise have seen. So, this not only benefits to make it easy, but it also benefits to make it accurate for taxpayers without a worry.

"So, I am very, very pleased to be here. And again, Mr. Secretary. We thank you very much for the job you're doing, and the work that you've done with our state. And we, of course, are hoping to have some additional revenue. We have a little bridge that fell down. Actually, it was knocked down. We want to get that fixed and it would be not right for me not to mention that we hope you'll be working very hard to make sure that that happens. And we appreciate the Harris-Biden Administration for being in the leadership of making sure we get that vital tie that binds the north from the south here, through our state.

"So, next, I don't know whether I'm supposed to introduce… So, I'm going to introduce John Sarbanes. John Sarbanes, like Ben Cardin, is leaving. And we lament that fact. The governor says it all the time, and I love it when he says it, and there are at least eight of us in the House of Representatives and two in the United States Senate agree with him when he says we're the best delegation that any governor has. He may guild the lily just a little bit there. But we're very proud of our delegation and we're particularly proud of Senator Cardin and Congressman Sarbanes, who have done such an extraordinary job. Of course, John is the son of the, I think one of the most high integrity, high intellect individuals that has ever served in the United States Senate, who did us so proud, and our country so proud, Paul Sarbanes. But John serves on… Congressman Sarbanes serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is arguably the most sought after committee in the House of Representatives and very hard to get on. And he got there because, like his father, high intellect and high integrity and high input and output as a Member of the Congress of the United States.

"And he has, as Senator Cardin said, been very focused on making sure that our system is fair, our political system is fair, that every vote counts and every vote is encouraged and assisted in being cast. There's no surprise that he has been very focused on making sure that their tax system is fair and that they can pay it easily and without cost. Ladies and gentlemen, Congressman John Sarbanes."

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