Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced Saturday morning that the first bill considered by the new House of Representatives will address a Biden administration initiative to hire additional IRS agents over a 10-year period.
“I know it’s late at night, but when we return, our first bill will repeal funding for 87,000 new IRS agents,” he said to applause from the Republican caucus. “You see, we believe that government should assist you rather than pursue you.”
Some context: The Republican National Committee and several Republican lawmakers have slammed new IRS funding, claiming that it will fund a “army of 87,000 new IRS agents.”
However, that figure is deceptive. In 2021, the Treasury Department estimated that a nearly $80 billion investment in the IRS could allow it to hire 86,852 full-time employees over a decade. However, this figure includes all employees, not just law enforcement officers.