Posted on 06/11/2015 10:37:42 AM PDT by Kaslin
The IRS has been sitting in the GOP's crosshairs ever since 2013, when news of the targeting scandal broke. But yesterday, Republican leaders took a step toward actually pulling the trigger.
House Republicans proposed cutting the IRS budget by nearly eight percent. This came after the president had called for an 18 percent increase. The proposed cuts would shrink the agency's budget by $838 million, leaving it with $10.1 billion. That would put the IRS at 2004 budget levels. Some are expecting more proposed cuts once the bill hits the House floor.
This level of spending cuts wasn't possible when Democrats controlled the Senate. Now that the GOP controls both chambers, these cuts may well make it to the president's desk. And as Politico notes, the president may actually be forced to sign it:
Holding up a broader spending bill in the name of the IRS, after all, is a political no-no with an American public deeply skeptical of tax collectors. If the president were to refuse to sign a spending bill only because of cuts to the IRS, he’d risk serious political backlash.
Democrats claim that these cuts would hurt the IRS' enforcement capabilities, costing taxpayers far more in revenue than the cuts would save. But the IRS got along perfectly fine in years past, when budget levels were similarly low (i.e. 2004). As the House Appropriations Committee said in a statement: "This funding level is sufficient for the IRS to perform its core duties, but will require the agency to streamline and better prioritize its budget.”
Even if these cuts reduced next year's tax revenue, that's not the big issue at hand here. The IRS went rogue under the Obama administration. It unjustly scrutinized and harassed conservative groups for political reasons. If the choice is between lower tax revenues and unjust tax collection practices, I'll take the lower tax revenues. Every time.
>> Now that the GOP controls both chambers, these cuts may well make it to the president’s desk.
LMAO. Stop it. Please.
But Obama will veto (or threaten to veto) any bill that contains the IRS budget cut and the pubbies will back off so they don’t get blamed for a government shutdown. And anyway, as far as they’re concerned, suppression of tea party groups is a good thing.
LOL! Whatever.
Flat tax, and put an end to the IRS.
I like cuts. I like the number 18%. Let's compromise (a favorite word among liberals) and cut the IRS by 18%.
Consumption tax would end the IRS’s interactions with individuals - in effect ending the IRS. Flat tax not so much b/c individuals would still file taxes.
But I would vote for a flat tax if I could!
I like cuts too - especially to the IRS. They’ll have a hard time justifying _any_ increase.
Let’s compromise further by keeping both numbers and adding them together for a 26% cut!
Meanwhile....Louis Lerner is off enjoying her generous retirement.
I could give a rat’s ass about the IRS. I want PEOPLE to receive the full force of the law slamming persons in authority like Lois Lerner etc.....
That pension needs to be revoked. I wonder if being convicted of a felony would do that.
Oh look! The #uniparty is going to teach itself a lesson and “pull the trigger”!
Yeah. Whatever. It is starting to look like the republicans are Lucy and we are Charlie Brown. We’ll never actually get to kick that football, no matter what reassurances she gives us that “this time it’s different”.
Flat tax, and put an end to the IRS.
You stupid. lazy Republican Congress people....you deserve to be out of your JOBS because you aren't DOING them!
THIS CASE WAS A NO BRAINER!!!
Cut every agency in government by 5 percent.
Do it again.
An again.
I have no hope for the current GOP to do the right thing.
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