There has been a fight on the Senate floor today, Saturday, over a provision that would allow the Chair of the Appropriations Committees to peek at our tax returns. Daily Kos has some news about it, but here is the exact language, which I'm told may not have been publicized yet. Republicans have now apologized for trying to sneak this through and pulled it. They are blaming it on a staffer. It was snuck into the 3,000 page spending bill virtually in the middle of the night.

Hereafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein.