June 8, 2023
Politico, the mouthpiece of the administrative state, on Friday reported this shocker: With the debt ceiling deal done, the Internal Revenue Service, which lost $21.4 billion in funding, fears it will be cut even further. It seems the agency that for decades has thrived on bullying the taxpayers for whom they work is afraid it will be similarly bullied for what IRS staffers feel is their lunch money.
To which I say, “Heck, yeah!”
Beyond the FBI, CIA, NSA, and any other national intelligence agency that either colluded with or was duped by Russia in the Russiagate scandal, no other federal agency deserves to have its budget, staffing, and overall existence more eviscerated than the IRS.
This is not simply about tax policy. This is about the classic triumvirate that represents why so many Americans hate Washington: the triplets of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.
Recall that Joe Biden—or, more likely, then-White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain—decided it would be a good idea to increase the IRS budget by nearly $100 billion to hire an army of 87,000 agents he claimed would be deployed only against the wealthiest Americans. It was a laughable claim then, and given what we know about the IRS since, it’s even more ridiculous.
Just as Democrats and their progressive tools have weaponized federal law enforcement and national security against the American people, the IRS has long been a weapon used to inflict fear, abuse, and financial harm on taxpayers. The agency has long been a willing participant in political abuse. And it has long received a free pass. Recall that the IRS under Obama was more than willing to target conservative organizations and individuals, auditing them and slow-rolling their tax-exempt status reviews.
After congressional hearings that made clear the IRS was targeting conservative nonprofits and individuals, the FBI launched a “review” that—surprise!—found no evidence of such targeting. Right. Even after what some might consider a congressional warning shot, the IRS hasn’t felt the need to be subtle about its proclivity for abuse.