Kelly introduces bill to hold the IRS accountable, strengthen oversight, and protect taxpayer money

Press Release

Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), the top Republican on the Ways & Means' Select Revenues Subcommittee, introduced H.R. 9341, the IRS Funding Accountability Act. The legislation responds to the Democrats' use of the so-called "Inflation Reduction Act" (IRA) that will infuse the IRS with $80 billion of new funding without any oversight measures to prevent waste, protect taxpayer rights, or measure improvements of service.

The IRS Funding Accountability Act would give Congress a direct say in how this new funding could be spent, further hold the IRS accountable, and provide more transparency for the American people. Rep. Kelly's bill is supported in the U.S. Senate by companion legislation introduced by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), senior members of the Senate tax-writing committee.

"Democrats and the Biden administration have weaponized the IRS over the last two years to pay for their tax-and-spend agenda. The time for oversight is now," Rep. Kelly said. "The $80 billion authorized in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act will unfairly target low-and-middle income Americans. The goal of my legislation is to provide much-needed oversight and accountability that the Inflation Reduction Act lacks. This will hold government accountable to the American people and ensure the IRS is properly using taxpayer dollars."

"The Democrats' attempt to supersize the IRS without holding the agency accountable to Congress and American taxpayers is dangerous and irresponsible," said Sen. Thune. "This legislation would provide much-needed oversight of the unprecedented $80 billion in new funding to the agency, more than half of which Democrats have directed toward enforcement-related measures, including audits. If our bill becomes law, the Biden administration's IRS would have to answer to the American people, not Washington bureaucrats."

"Government, especially when it comes to the treatment of taxpayers, needs to be accountable and transparent to the American people," said Sen. Grassley. "When Democrats' partisan spending bill gave the IRS an extra 80 billion dollars, their legislation included no oversight mechanisms whatsoever. Our bill will ensure that the IRS is answerable to the American people in how it uses this money, and will force it to forfeit funds every day it's not in compliance."

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