House approves IRS budget cuts…”this agency has shown contempt for the American taxpayer.”
By Cristina Marcos
The Hill.com
July 14, 2014
The House late Monday night adopted proposals by voice vote to cut funding for the Internal Revenue Service.
Rep. Paul Gosar’s (R-Ariz.) amendment to the fiscal 2015 Financial Services appropriations bill would cut funding for the IRS by $353 million. Specifically, Gosar’s amendment would cut that funding from the IRS enforcement account and use it toward deficit reduction.
Gosar argued that funding for the IRS would be better used toward reducing the deficit than toward the agency caught in GOP crosshairs.
“This is a modest reduction at best,” Gosar said.
But, Gosar said, “More directly than financial or condition of the country is the fact that this agency has shown contempt for the American taxpayer.”
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Financial Services subcommittee, said that slashing IRS funding would be counterproductive and result in weakened tax enforcement. He noted that the $10.95 billion allocation for the IRS would be a $341 million cut from fiscal 2014.
“This will prevent the IRS from going after tax cheats,” Serrano said.
As with other appropriations bills, the Financial Services measure is being considered under an open rule that allows members to offer an unlimited number of amendments with ten minutes of debate each. Consideration of the contentious Financial Services appropriations bill is expected to last through Wednesday.
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