Reporting from The Hill, “House Republicans fulfilled a key campaign promise on Monday, passing legislation to rescind the bulk of an IRS funding boost signed into law last year, marking the first bill passed by the GOP-controlled House this Congress. The bill, which is unlikely to see action in the Democratic-controlled Senate, passed in a party-line 221-210 vote on Monday evening. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced that the first bill for a GOP-controlled House would be to repeal the new IRS funding in September, when House Republicans released their ‘Commitment to America’ midterm policy and messaging platform ahead of the election. A boost of about $80 billion in IRS funding over a decade generally aimed at upping high-income enforcement was included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ sweeping tax, health and climate bill.”
So, the RepubliKKKlans’ first bill was a single to the base (aka Al-Qaeda) that they would legislate in the mode of QAnon conspiracy kookery. Let’s be absolutely clear about the motives behind defunding the IRS movement. Holding the wealthy class accountable to pay their fair share of taxes is not the primary reason for this legislative push. The primary reason is to demonstrate to crazy RepubliKKKlans — which is all of them — that leadership is going to stop the big bad government from coming to break down their doors to confiscate their guns and assets in the name of tax collections. When Democrats enacted legislation to beef up the depleted IRS ranks, RepubliKKKlans immediately equated hiring 80,000 IRS workers over ten years to creating a Gestapo police force that was coming for RepubliKKKlans. This is not me being hyperbolic or cute. This is their actual belief. Plain and simple. In short, the RepubliKKKlans, in the minds of their voters, just voted to repeal the American Gestapo. Of course, this is ridiculous nonsense, but it’s what fucking goddamned stupid Americans believe. To think that House RepubliKKKlans are pulling these legislative initiatives out of the blue is misguided. These actions are, at their core, rooted in what constituents are telling them. So, expect more of this bat-shit craziness because that’s what America has become now; it’s what people voted for. We get the government we deserve and desire. Oh, well. Welcome to stupid America!