WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member John Lewis (D-GA) today issued the following statement in response to IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman’s letter warning of cuts to essential services to taxpayers if the Republican budget proposals are enacted:
Oversight Ranking Member John Lewis: “Since March, I have had serious concerns about the impact of the Republican plan to cut about $600 million from the IRS budget. This letter makes clear that the Republican budget will harm taxpayers, harm tax administration, increase the deficit, and cost the treasury $4 billion dollars a year. This makes no sense, particularly at a time when Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are under attack in the name of deficit reduction."
The House Appropriations Committee has passed legislation cutting the IRS budget by $600 million. Cutting the IRS budget by that amount will only hamper the enforcement ability of the IRS. It will not only lead to a reduction in examination and collection actions by 5-8 percent and reduce revenue by $4 billion annually, but it also would lead to a direct increase to the nation’s deficit. These cuts are considered to be so substantial that the IRS will have no choice but to immediately reduce its spending rate and cut services to taxpayers, which will result in slower response times and longer waits.
A PDF copy of the letter can be found here.
