On the recordFebruary 1, 2023
To address two points. One, let's grab the bull by the horns with this IRS point. The President's budget included $80 billion to increase staffing and to update technology at the IRS so our constituents can get their calls returned. If you are waiting for your IRS tax refund, that is something that you have planned on. That is part of your family budget. If it is stuck somehow, it is extremely frustrating for people not to be able to get through. Now they, bizarrely to my mind, blame telework for this, and they oppose the $80 billion. I think they say that will create 75,000 or 100,000 new IRS agents who will be chasing working-class people around the country. On the contrary, we have a report showing the $80 billion will produce $200 billion in new revenue and it is rich people who are the ones who are being protected by the refusal of my colleagues to invest in the IRS. Telework is a complete distraction. It is an absolute red herring. It has nothing to do with whether or not you want to invest in the IRS or not. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume), my colleague.
