Several government agencies have come under heavy scrutiny in 2022.
The FBI has taken plenty of heat for their unprecedented raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. And President Joe Biden’s DOJ has also received a lot of criticism recently.
Now, another federal branch is facing a potential probe — and this one might have a direct impact on every American.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made headlines earlier this year when it was revealed that D.C. was going to hire 87,000 new agents. Many citizens and politicians questioned the move.
In fact, Republican leader Ted Cruz (TX) suggested the IRS should be abolished.
That probably won’t happen, of course, but the GOP still has the agency in its crosshairs. They intend to take a very close look at the IRS if Republicans manage to win back the House in November.
And that could result in plenty of eye-opening news.
Via Fox News:
Republicans plan to launch immediate oversight of the Internal Revenue Service if they win control of the House of Representatives.
Three Republicans vying to lead the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax and trade policy in the House, each told Fox News Digital that shining a light on the IRS’s conduct and practices is a top priority.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) is the highest-ranking member of the committee, and he cited the $80 billion the agency will spend in hiring those 87,000 new agents.
He added: “Everyone is worried about what these IRS agents will do, and we’re committed to holding the agency accountable.”
Reps. Jason Smith (MO) and Adrian Smith (NE) agree with this concern. Jason Smith said that even without the hiring blitz, there’s still reason to worry that the IRS is targeting conservatives:
The American people are demanding oversight of this administration.
Over the years, they’ve seen an IRS that has targeted conservatives. They’ve seen an IRS that has allowed taxpayer information to be leaked for political gain.
If the GOP does reclaim some control after the midterm elections, they won’t be content with probes and hearings, either.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has promised that the first step would be to slash funding for the IRS. Republicans aim to get plenty more questions answered, too.
For example, they want to know why the IRS got mired in a document backlog that seriously delayed tax refunds. As Rep. Buchanan stated:
People are claiming the IRS is using equipment from the 1970s to process returns.
Issues like that are ripe for oversight. So is the level of fraud and taxpayer waste stemming from the agency.
Lastly, the committee wants to block companies controlled by the Chinese Community Party from getting taxpayer subsidies.
Rep. Jason Smith said such companies are still receiving “handouts from American taxpayers and preferential tax treatment.” Obviously, this won’t go over well with hard-working U.S. citizens.
It doesn’t help that just this week, we heard about a scandal involving 5 IRS agents who allegedly stole COVID relief funds and went on personal spending sprees.
In short, it seems like the agency is definitely ripe for some sort of investigation. And if the “red wave” hits next month, it seems that probe will be coming soon after.
Key Takeaways:
- Republicans have vowed to launch an “immediate oversight” into the IRS if they win back the House.
- The GOP wants to look into possible targeting of conservatives, and they intend to slash funding for the IRS.
- The committee would also look to stop Chinese-controlled companies from getting taxpayer handouts.
Source: Fox News
