By a vote count of 221-210, House Republicans made good on their campaign promise to defund the 87,000 IRS “agents” President Biden vowed to employ through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The vote on the “Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act,” came down along political party lines with two Democrats and one Republican not having voted on the measure.
Republicans see their first majority bill passing as a huge victory, but the measure will probably never get to President Biden’s desk. With Democrats controlling the Senate, the House bill is not expected to as in the upper chamber, unless moderate Democrats like Sen. Krysten Sinema and Joe Machin vote in favor of defunding those future IRS agents.
According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Republican bill would cut out $71 billion of the $80 billion allocated in the IRA.
Republicans contend that the 87,000 IRS hires will be armed “agents,” but only a small percentage of those 87,000 hired will become “agents.”
House Republicans just voted unanimously to repeal the Democrats' army of 87,000 IRS agents This was our very first act of the new Congress, because government should,” stated Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Shortly after the vote, more House Republicans began to speak about their support to defund the IRS.
“Promises made, promises KEPT,” echoed Rep. Brian Mast.
“Hardworking Americans and small business owners in South Florida deserve a government that works for them, not the Biden Admin’s army of 87k IRS agents harassing them,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez
Fellow Miamian, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, stated, “Tonight, I voted to rescind funding to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to monitor middle-class families & small businesses. As the American people continue to suffer from the Biden Admin’s inflationary policies, the last thing they need is their government working against them.”
While most Florida House Democrats appear to refrain from commenting about the Republican bill, Rep. Lois Frankel defended the funding of IRS employees, saying,” Only House Republicans in Washington would choose to protect tax evaders and profitable corporations with their first bill in power.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was the sole Florida Democrat who did not vote on the measure.
Florida Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor, Maxwell Frost, Jared Moskowitz, Darren Soto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson, joined Rep. Frankel in voting against the bill
House Republicans have vowed to hold their Democratic counterparts accountable for their actions and bills passed over the last 4 years that they were in the majority.
