“Throwing more money in a reconciliation bill at the IRS so they can hire 65,000 other agents who are not trained properly, to be supervised by people who are not trained properly, who are managed by long-term bureaucrats that have an agenda – that is not a good allocation of American resources,” said Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice during a Ways and Means Oversight subcommittee meeting.

CLICK HERE to watch Mr. Sekulow’s opening remarks.

Witnesses joined Ways and Means Republicans in a Member Meeting examining Democrats’ dangerous supercharged IRS expansion, which burdens American families, farmers, and small businesses with more reporting requirements and gives Washington more unchecked authority.

CLICK HERE to watch the full meeting.

READ: BRADY: With Its History of Political Targeting, Why Would We Reward theIRS with Greater Power Over Sensitive Taxpayer Data?

Bunni Pounds, President of Christians Engaged, joined the meeting to share her experience with the IRS disqualifying her organization based on religious beliefs.

“For the IRS to say that biblical teachings were in essence partisan political speech could potentially harm every 501c3 Christian organization inAmerica, including churches that discuss their biblical prospective about public issues.”

Lea Patterson, Counsel for the First Liberty Institute, also warned against IRS targeting based on religious or political beliefs.

“If the IRS acted widely on the belief that common biblical teachings constitute Republican-affiliated political campaign intervention, it would endanger the tax-exempt status of many religious organizations and churches.

Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law added that Democrats’ untargeted spending does nothing to correct the IRS’s abuse of power:

“I have said in 2015, and I’m going to have to unfortunately repeat it again today, despite the fact that we have a consent decree entered into federal court dealing with the IRS’s targeting of the conservative groups, tea party groups, and pro-life groups, that I believe the IRS is institutionally incapable of self-correcting.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Democrats’ Supercharged IRS Expansion and Tax Gap Plan Doesn’t AddUp

• IRS Commissioner Rettig testified before Congress that the tax gap could be as high as $1 trillion—contradicting the official (but unsubstantiated) IRS estimate of $381 billion per year. President Biden’s uses an estimate of $630 billion.
• Democrats’ plan for a more invasive, supercharged IRS will turn local banks into an arm of the IRS, collecting private bank account information while burdening American families, farms, and small businesses.
• Research shows that those determined to evade taxes will adjust their behavior based on new IRS efforts within three short years—so the other$260 billion in this “pay-for” is also far too optimistic.
• Republicans have introduced legislation to protect taxpayers and improve the IRS.

The IRS’s Bad Old Days of Tax Discrimination Are Back

• The last time President Biden was near the White House, the IRS spent yearstargeting conservative tax-exempt groups.
• The IRS denied tax exempt status to a non-profit organization on the basis that certain bible teachings are “affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates.”

READ: KELLY: Dems’ Plan for Invasive, Supercharged IRS Invites Abuse ofPower

Republicans Are Fighting Back Against IRS Targeting of Taxpayers

• Noting the IRS’s dangerous approach to examining tax-exempt status applicants, Rep. Brady and Rep. Kelly are demanding answers on behalf of taxpayers.
• Democrats in Congress are attempting to repeal a Trump Administration rule preventing the IRS from targeting certain tax-exempt groups.

READ: Brady, Kelly: IRS Was Weaponized Before and It Could Happen Again