On the recordJanuary 9, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this misguided, expensive, and unpaid for legislation. For years, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have done everything they can to demonize the IRS. But here is the reality: When the IRS doesn't have the funding it needs, then two very bad things happen. The very wealthy tax cheats are able to avoid paying their fair share; and two, our constituents who need help from the IRS face unnecessary and destructive delays in getting that help. The majority can't criticize the IRS for its performance while simultaneously fighting to cut the IRS budget. Despite what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would lead you to believe, Mr. Speaker, there aren't 87,000 storm troopers funded in this bill who are going to bang down your door. That is pure and utter nonsense. Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society. They are a fundamental part of our civic responsibility to one another. This bill is a bad idea, and I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``no''.
