Republicans are talking about reforming the IRS if they gain the majority in the Senate next month, but seem to be treading with caution on making any specific promises.
The Hill interviewed a number of prominent Republicans about the issue, including spokesmen for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), but both gave extremely vague responses.
“Republicans will continue our oversight efforts of the IRS to ensure accountability for constituents, particularly when the First Amendment is at risk,” Don Stewart, McConnell’s spokesman, said. McConnell, like other Republicans up for reelection, has railed against the IRS scandal as a prime example of the Obama administration’s failures.
Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith was even less generous with his statement, saying, “We’ll work with all of our members, including the appropriators, to address these issues after the election.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently laid out his vision for the GOP, in which he called for more oversight of the IRS, and ultimately abolishing it. But for now he floated no specific reforms, only “careful, sober Senate hearings.”
According to The Hill, “top Republicans have already hinted” they won’t be slashing the IRS’s budget any time soon. Instead, they could pick up House legislation to make it easier for groups to appeal the tax-exemption approval process, or to outlaw using private email accounts for IRS business, a dig at the IRS’s email problems.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) suggested that more aggressive hearings could help hold someone accountable for the IRS’s wrongful targeting of conservative groups: “You’re going to have more eyes looking at this issue, potentially twice as many hearings happening…That gives you that much more opportunity to get to the truth, in spite of the fact that the administration is not cooperating.”
