Surely, Mike Johnson knows that cutting funding to the IRS will lead to a decrease in revenue. Someone has had to inform him of that fact.
So I've wondered what his long-game is? Is it "less revenue = more spending cuts"?
(Cutting spending is, of course, a core Republican tenet.)
I hadn't considered that it creates a political trap for Democrats, though: short term strategy. But hey, why work with others when you can own them, right?
“This is not what you do if you care about the safety of Jews...This is what you do when you care about other things and are willing to hold the safety of Jews hostage until you get them.”
Nancy has it right; and Congress is full of garbage. As far as kids demonstrating goes, shut up and grow up. If you believe social media, which is a curse, you are in serious trouble. Turn off your stupid smartphone and donate to the Palestinians. Send food, fuel, medicine, whatever you can. And shut up and get off the streets. Do something important instead of behaving like the juvenile you may be.
Further politicizing aid to Israel and Ukraine by severing the two and holding Israel hostage to the trumpist agenda is like pumping gasoline into a bonfire. American Jews are already under extremist threat and understandably scared to death. This new Speaker is a disaster already a week after starting the job.
"...would likely add... almost always result in dried-up tax collection..." Would likely add? Almost always? I followed the link to the IRS Rescission Would Worsen Deficits but don't see the "would likely" or "almost always" angles supported. I did see a CBO link to a Senate letter. Call me slow, but I thought we were speaking of the new House speaker.
The IRS Rescission Would Worsen Deficits lists links to what's in the Inflation Reduction Act and (ultimately) a primer on understanding the Tax Gap. The numbers being tossed around in all of these are estimates from bodies of data going back 10 or more years. Why? "...The process of estimating the tax gap is extremely complex and time consuming...". Perhaps the continued use of COBOL for core systems might account for some of this complexity. Despite multiple attempts to leave COBOL, the IRS has yet to successfully make that happen. Before moving on, does any ask as to the validity/accuracy of the estimates or are they taken at face value?
This COBOL technical debt leads me into the debate on a free tax filing system which is a great idea. I wouldn't expect the IRS to be the ones to design and write it, so regardless of what one thinks of TurboTax and HR Block, they're going to be as good as it gets unless someone could convince Bill Gates to fund the free system development effort.
My bet is that the Kochs or an entity like them are bankrolling Dean Phillips, although I hear he is wealthy, so he may be bankrolling himself to start anyway. It’d be good to get his donor list.
One of the disgraceful failures of the Democratic leaders over the past decade or more, is their inability or unwillingness to explain to the "Joe 6-pack" voters that emasculating the IRS helps only the wealthiest of taxpayers, or the fraudsters, some of whom are the same people. Is it because they are inept, or many of them are wealthy and will benefit from a weakened IRS, or more likely that their big donors, just like the Republicans' big donors, want to destroy the IRS's ability to audit complex tax returns. Joe 6-pack has never been audited by the IRS, but can easily be convinced that they regularly terrorize others. So, the Dems and the even the press have allowed MAGA, a faux-farmer like Senator Grassley, Fox News, and other dissemblers to paint the IRS as evil, and out to destroy the American family and religious liberty, while the Dems provide no blowback. On this issue, the Dems are major hypocrites, and it is costing American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year. The reason that the Reps slip an IRS-defunding provision into an Israel-funding bill, is because there's a good chance that they will get all or part of it, as they know many Dems want it too. That was proved with the recent Continuing Resolution Bill. Shame on the Democrats.
I would stay positive; welcome the new speaker, acknowledge the difficulties of the job, especially in these trying times, express a willingness to consider offsets for new spending authorizations broadly... and then start a very public debate as to why de-funding IRS is off the table. As you say, it may end up a net add to the deficit if collections go down, but also it's a giveaway to people who don't need it, in turn placing added tax burdens on Joe Six-Pack. And, if you cut the actual spending you deprive Joe Six-Pack of the red state benefits the base supports and smarmy GOP House members claim credit in their districts after voting no. Name names in a giant Wall of Shame Ad. End by saying you don't believe aid to Israel or Ukraine should be conditional and held hostage by the Swamp. Tell the GOP the door is open for offset discussions on legislation that doesn't have urgent national security implications.
We'll all, of course, be praying for them to do the right thing.
So nothing changes, the republicans still plan to rule by terrorist tactics and hostage taking. Ron Johnson is one of Putin's most useful idiots and will delay funding of Ukraine any way that he can.
So the Republican Party is the party of book bans, government shutdowns, increasing the deficit by coddling wealthy tax cheats, ignoring subpoenas, canceling electoral votes of states they don’t reside in, and--to top it all off--death threats for anyone Trump inveighs against. Sounds like a winning platform.
New Speaker, Same Old Stupid Games
Thanks for the explanation of the IRS proposal. A friend had been perplexed about why anyone was in favor of cuts.
It is not a surprise that Steve Schmidt is involved in the Dean Phillips business. He causes FAR more problems than he repairs.
Surely, Mike Johnson knows that cutting funding to the IRS will lead to a decrease in revenue. Someone has had to inform him of that fact.
So I've wondered what his long-game is? Is it "less revenue = more spending cuts"?
(Cutting spending is, of course, a core Republican tenet.)
I hadn't considered that it creates a political trap for Democrats, though: short term strategy. But hey, why work with others when you can own them, right?
Is anyone surprised by what Mike Johnson has done? I’m not surprised. Anyone surprised at all?
“This is not what you do if you care about the safety of Jews...This is what you do when you care about other things and are willing to hold the safety of Jews hostage until you get them.”
Ouch, TRUTH.
Nancy has it right; and Congress is full of garbage. As far as kids demonstrating goes, shut up and grow up. If you believe social media, which is a curse, you are in serious trouble. Turn off your stupid smartphone and donate to the Palestinians. Send food, fuel, medicine, whatever you can. And shut up and get off the streets. Do something important instead of behaving like the juvenile you may be.
Further politicizing aid to Israel and Ukraine by severing the two and holding Israel hostage to the trumpist agenda is like pumping gasoline into a bonfire. American Jews are already under extremist threat and understandably scared to death. This new Speaker is a disaster already a week after starting the job.
"...would likely add... almost always result in dried-up tax collection..." Would likely add? Almost always? I followed the link to the IRS Rescission Would Worsen Deficits but don't see the "would likely" or "almost always" angles supported. I did see a CBO link to a Senate letter. Call me slow, but I thought we were speaking of the new House speaker.
The IRS Rescission Would Worsen Deficits lists links to what's in the Inflation Reduction Act and (ultimately) a primer on understanding the Tax Gap. The numbers being tossed around in all of these are estimates from bodies of data going back 10 or more years. Why? "...The process of estimating the tax gap is extremely complex and time consuming...". Perhaps the continued use of COBOL for core systems might account for some of this complexity. Despite multiple attempts to leave COBOL, the IRS has yet to successfully make that happen. Before moving on, does any ask as to the validity/accuracy of the estimates or are they taken at face value?
This COBOL technical debt leads me into the debate on a free tax filing system which is a great idea. I wouldn't expect the IRS to be the ones to design and write it, so regardless of what one thinks of TurboTax and HR Block, they're going to be as good as it gets unless someone could convince Bill Gates to fund the free system development effort.
Thanks Joe. Really good report today and opened up
commentary nicely.
I pay my taxes every year, on time.
GOP doesn't think I should do that anymore?
My bet is that the Kochs or an entity like them are bankrolling Dean Phillips, although I hear he is wealthy, so he may be bankrolling himself to start anyway. It’d be good to get his donor list.
One of the disgraceful failures of the Democratic leaders over the past decade or more, is their inability or unwillingness to explain to the "Joe 6-pack" voters that emasculating the IRS helps only the wealthiest of taxpayers, or the fraudsters, some of whom are the same people. Is it because they are inept, or many of them are wealthy and will benefit from a weakened IRS, or more likely that their big donors, just like the Republicans' big donors, want to destroy the IRS's ability to audit complex tax returns. Joe 6-pack has never been audited by the IRS, but can easily be convinced that they regularly terrorize others. So, the Dems and the even the press have allowed MAGA, a faux-farmer like Senator Grassley, Fox News, and other dissemblers to paint the IRS as evil, and out to destroy the American family and religious liberty, while the Dems provide no blowback. On this issue, the Dems are major hypocrites, and it is costing American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year. The reason that the Reps slip an IRS-defunding provision into an Israel-funding bill, is because there's a good chance that they will get all or part of it, as they know many Dems want it too. That was proved with the recent Continuing Resolution Bill. Shame on the Democrats.
I would stay positive; welcome the new speaker, acknowledge the difficulties of the job, especially in these trying times, express a willingness to consider offsets for new spending authorizations broadly... and then start a very public debate as to why de-funding IRS is off the table. As you say, it may end up a net add to the deficit if collections go down, but also it's a giveaway to people who don't need it, in turn placing added tax burdens on Joe Six-Pack. And, if you cut the actual spending you deprive Joe Six-Pack of the red state benefits the base supports and smarmy GOP House members claim credit in their districts after voting no. Name names in a giant Wall of Shame Ad. End by saying you don't believe aid to Israel or Ukraine should be conditional and held hostage by the Swamp. Tell the GOP the door is open for offset discussions on legislation that doesn't have urgent national security implications.
We'll all, of course, be praying for them to do the right thing.
So nothing changes, the republicans still plan to rule by terrorist tactics and hostage taking. Ron Johnson is one of Putin's most useful idiots and will delay funding of Ukraine any way that he can.
So the Republican Party is the party of book bans, government shutdowns, increasing the deficit by coddling wealthy tax cheats, ignoring subpoenas, canceling electoral votes of states they don’t reside in, and--to top it all off--death threats for anyone Trump inveighs against. Sounds like a winning platform.
Someone tell Mike Johnson we don't have an IRS problem, we have a human heart problem. 🙄