It speaks volumes that one of the first things the new GOP House did was to signal their desire to protect rich donors’ ability to cheat on their taxes by repealing the additional funds for the IRS in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
The fact that the GOP is trying to disguise their move as something to protect everyday Americans also shows Republicans are very well aware that it will not go over well with the public unless they lie about it.
On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) tried to put lipstick on the GOP pig by pretending on CNN that the additional IRS personnel funded in the IRA would terrorize middle-class Americans. In fact, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen directed that the funds be used only to target those earning $400,000 a year and more.
Fortunately, host Jake Tapper told the truth that Johnson would not: “As you know, about ten years ago, if you made more than $10 million a year, one out of five people like that would be audited. Now it's down to, like, 3.5, 3.6 percent,” Tapper noted. As a result, hiring the new employees would lower the deficit.
Instead of denying that, Johnson deflected with more falsehoods: “The intent of hiring all these new agents would have the effect of going after hardworking families and small businesses. That is not a Republican talking point,” he lied.
“Why not just be honest about what the bill would actually do?” Tapper asked. When Johnson argued that he was being honest, Tapper pointed out that the funding is not for 87,000 IRS agents but IRS employees. (That’s true and much of the funding is not for audits but to undo previous GOP budget cuts.)
But Johnson insisted it’s 87,000 IRS agents. After going back and forth, Tapper finally asked, “Do you think that there is a problem in this country of wealthy individuals and companies not paying their fair share in taxes?”
Johnson said “of course” that’s been a problem and that Republicans “absolutely” support going after them. Then the guy from the Trump-loving, insurrection and George Santos cover-up caucus added, “We are the law and order team.”
Then why not just pass a bill saying that the new funds can only go after those making $5 million a year, Tapper asked.
Johnson now claimed the GOP is “open” to the proper use of funds and “maybe that would be a worthwhile exercise” but since that was not in the Inflation Reduction Act, they had to repeal the funding altogether. Which is another load of BS since Johnson knows full well the defunding will go nowhere in the Senate and that President Biden would veto it.
So, he tried to blame the House Democrats: “I wish we would've had some Democrats who followed common sense and went along with us on it, but hopefully we will do better with that in the days ahead,” he said.
Tapper pointed out that if Johnson and the GOP really wanted a bipartisan bill, they’d be working with Senate Democrats “on something that can actually become law.”
“We’re open to bipartisan solutions if it will actually obtain the needed objective,” Johnson responded.
Sure they are. They just don’t want you to know that the “needed objective” is to hobble Biden, the Democrats and the IRS and protect their ultra-wealthy donors who probably have all the same objectives.
