We must defund Biden's $80 billion IRS undertaking

Op-Ed

Like millions of American families across the country, we are concerned about the future. Record-high inflation has driven up the cost of everything from food to fuel, and our supply chain challenges show no sign of resolution. While some employers are struggling to find workers, others are preparing layoffs, and paychecks just aren't stretching as far as they used to.

Families everywhere are questioning if they can afford everyday necessities, assuming they can find them on store shelves. For months families across the country have been dealing with these crises and instead of finding solutions, Democrats in Washington have added fuel to the fire by spending trillions we don't have.

The congressional districts we represent -- Nebraska's 3rd and California's 48th -- are very different in geography, size and demographics; but we hear many of the same worries from our constituents. Nebraskans, Californians and all Americans deserve a strong economy where everyone -- no matter where they come from -- can afford to put food on the table, fill up their vehicles, and build their own American Dream.

Our constituents want to know their communities are safe and that they have the freedom to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. They demand an accountable government -- one of, by and for the people. This is not too much to ask, but unfortunately feels out of reach for too many during these difficult and uncertain times.

We both opposed the Democrats' $750-billion so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August. The act included many concerning policies, including $80 billion in new funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) -- six times the agency's current budget.

There's no question the IRS is an agency in desperate need of reform and modernization, but the billions in the act will do little to get the IRS back on track. Of the $80 billion, only $3.2 billion is slated to go toward taxpayer services. New audits and enforcement? $45 billion, not counting the funding that would indirectly support audits by allowing for rulemaking and beefing up the budget in the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Many have suggested that the threat of 87,000 new IRS employees to help conduct these audits is a partisan conspiracy theory. We can assure you it is not. Previously released guidance from President Biden's Department of Treasury stated $80 billion in new funding would be utilized to hire some 87,000 employees.

The Treasury Department has said these wouldn't be new positions, and that they're planning to hire to make up for dwindling staffing numbers. If that's the case, why would extra funding be needed for existing staff positions? Ninety percent of Inflation Act funding going toward increasing and supporting audits to pay for Democrats' priorities and only 10% going toward customer service and IT modernization, it's clear what these employees will be hired to do.

Further, the administration says it's going to audit at the same rate they currently do, and 90% of audits right now are of taxpayers earning below $400,000. The administration has also specifically cited pass-through businesses with more than $200,000 in assets as entities they'd want to audit. Nearly any full-time business that owns its own building -- or any farm in Nebraska with a combine or family-owned business in Westminster -- would meet that threshold.

House Republicans recently released our Commitment to America -- our policy agenda to bring our country out of crisis and back on the path to prosperity. A key pillar of this agenda is working to ensure the government works for you, not against you.

An accountable government isn't a bloated one empowered to target taxpayers, which is why we are working together to defund the Biden administration's plan to hire 87,000 new employees to audit American taxpayers. Our bill, the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, would rescind the IRS funding for enforcement and leave in place the funding for improvements to customer service and technology.

Republican Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy has said one of the first orders of business in the new Congress will be to defund these new IRS agents. This is the first of many important steps House Republicans will take to help right the wrongs of a Democrat-controlled Washington.

Republicans are ready to get to work on day one of the new Congress to hold government accountable and get our country back on track.

We won't ever forget we work for you, and we won't ever stop fighting for a better America for future generations. Your priorities are our priorities, and we are ready to get to work.

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