Congressional Access to Citizens' Tax Returns Almost Written into Appropriations Bill

As Democrats called for an investigation, House Republicans scrambled Monday to explain how language got into a federal spending bill that would have let congressional appropriators examine Americans' income tax returns.The provision was discovered Saturday just before the Senate was to vote on a huge $388 billion domestic spending bill. It was inserted into the bill a few hours earlier by House aides and approved by the House.Democratic and Republican senators, angered by the language, eventually approved the appropriations bill minus the provision. But they will not send the bill back to the House and on to President Bush for his signature until Wednesday, after the House deletes the language.