Congressman Jason Smith Introduces Bill to Rein in IRS, Block Obamacare Implementation
Mar 30, 2016
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 30, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Aaron Willard
Congressman Jason Smith Introduces Bill to Rein in IRS, Block Obamacare Implementation
Washington, D.C.– Today U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08) introduced H.R. 4885, the IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending (OWES) Act. The legislation would restore Congresses full authority over the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), by requiring that every dollar the IRS raises as a result of charging filing fees on U.S. taxpayers and other assessments be subjected to Congressional approval before it is spent.
The IRS collects roughly $400 million in User Fees annually, and has been spending that money as bureaucrats see fit, without Congressional approval. In 2014, the IRS allocated $183 million in User Fees to serving the needs of taxpayers. In 2015, the IRS allocated a mere $49 million in User Fees to help taxpayers, a roughly 73% cut. Additionally in 2015 the IRS spent over $200 million of generated User Fees to implement technology to enforce the individual and employer Obamacare mandates. Congressman Smith and the U.S. House and Senate earlier this year specifically put an Obamacare repeal bill on President Obama’s desk who then promptly vetoed it.
“The IRS is an agency out of control. Instead of using these resources to help taxpayers, reduce wait times and improve services provided to the American public , the IRS is using this User Fee slush fund to implement Obamacare,” Smith said. “The IRS has a stained track record and actions such as the illegal targeting of conservative and religious groups proves that they can’t be trusted to utilize User Fee resources in the best interest of the folks of Missouri.”
"The IRS continues to take unprecedented actions to advance the Administration's failing agenda, and hardworking Americans are paying the price," Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said. "I want to thank Congressman Smith for his commitment to protecting taxpayers by making the agency accountable for all the funds it receives. With April 15th approaching, we must keep our focus on improving the IRS, just as this legislation does."
Congressman Jason Smith serves on the Oversight Subcommittee of the Ways & Means Committee where H.R. 4885 has been referred. The legislation has the unanimous backing of all the Subcommittee Republicans. Since Congressman Smith has served on the subcommittee they have exposed illegal actions by the IRS such as the unwarranted seizure of small business assets, unlawful spending to prop up Obamacare, the illegal targeting by Lois Lerner and other IRS officials and attempts by the Administration to utilize the tax code in implementing the catastrophic US-Iran nuclear deal.
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