During this afternoon’s House Appropriations Committee hearing on IRS spending, Rep. José Serrano — who famously introduced a bill to repeal the presidential term limit — echoed former IRS commissioner Steven Miller by suggesting that throwing more money at the scandal-plagued agency would somehow mitigate its penchant for corruption:
VIDEO: Rep. Serrano (D-NY): After Scandals, IRS Deserves More Funding, Not Less http://t.co/SlGKD2NVIC
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 3, 2013
Uh, no way, José.
Liberal solution to everything, including the IRS abusing taxpayers: Demand more money from taxpayers.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 3, 2013
Serrano said the last thing the IRS needs is to have funding cut. Uh-huh…we know, Jose.
— Laura McGinnis (@TxsleuthUSA) June 3, 2013
Unbelievable. https://t.co/BXgIxmGHbw This is mob shit. "Give us more money, or we'll keep making things difficult." #IRSHearing
— RBe (@RBPundit) June 3, 2013
Seriously. Democrats are literally saying that the #IRS needs more money or there will be more scandals. #Extortion
— RBe (@RBPundit) June 3, 2013
1. Politicize the IRS. 2. Target conservative groups. 3 ????? 4. Ask for a bigger IRS budget. #IRSHearing
— RBe (@RBPundit) June 3, 2013
Oh, the IRS and liberals on the Hill want more of my hard earned money to do stupid crap? How about: Eff, NO.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 3, 2013
Interestingly, acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel made a similar point — sort of. In addition to acknowledging that the IRS betrayed Americans’ trust (assuming Americans trusted in the IRS to begin with):
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Crenshaw asks Werfel if he believes IRS has "betrayed the trust of the American people?" "I do," Werfel says
— David Lightman (@LightmanDavid) June 3, 2013
asked if he thinks trust in IRS is broken, acting commish says "I do mr chairman … my primary mission is to restore that trust"
— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) June 3, 2013
Werfel also dropped this little bombshell:
Acting IRS Chief Werfel tells lawmakers he doesn't think the solution is just "more money" for the IRS
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) June 3, 2013
"The solution here is not more money." Acting IRS Commish Werfel. #IRShearing (just made this boring hearing interesting)
— David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) June 3, 2013
Werfel on what the IRS needs now to regroup: "The solution here is not more money." Calls scandal a failure of management.
— Damian Paletta (@damianpaletta) June 3, 2013
Transcript:
“The solution here is, in my opinion, not more money. The solution here, in this situation, is to understand what controls need to be put in place, what oversight, what getting the right leadership in place, the right processes in a collective way…”
Acting #IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel: "We don't need more money" #JustBrokeDemocratsHeart#IRShearing
— TheRightWingM ?? (@TheRightWingM) June 3, 2013
Certainly a refreshing perspective. GOP Rep. Rogers, for one, appeared pleased:
Werfel: More IRS money "wrong starting point" — figure out right framework first, then funding. Chair Rogers: "I'm beginning to like you."
— Kent Hoover (@SmallBizOnHill) June 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/TaxNotesHill/status/341642244002033664
Approps Chair Hal Rogers (R): "Mr. Werfel, I'm beginning to like you when you say you don't want more money." (Not what Werfel said per se.)
— Mike O'Brien (@mpoindc) June 3, 2013
But are Werfel’s statements genuine? Some people can’t help but be skeptical:
Daniel Werfel, Acting Commissioner, is sucking up to Committee like Whoa. He appears genuinely concerned, but come on. He's IRS! #IRSHearing
— Kristi Assange. Ω (@AltAnalyst) June 3, 2013
Werfel saying "gross mismanagement" at IRS met with Chairman Rogers responding "I am beginning to like you" – me I am not 2 sure yet. #tcot
— Peoples_Pundit (@Peoples_Pundit) June 3, 2013
Werfel doesn't appear tough enough to take on the intrenched bureaucrats and restructure the #irs to eliminate future problems.
— Philip Craig (@PhilipJCraig) June 3, 2013
No confidence in the IRS or those who work there. That's my assessment of Werfel's behavior. #IRS #IRSHearing
— AA7YA?? (@AA7YA) June 3, 2013
Is Werfel someone we can put faith in to clean up the IRS?
You know this new IRS commissioner was probably in the know about all this targeting stuff, right? https://t.co/Tm0HdGnbb0 #IRSHearing
— RBe (@RBPundit) June 3, 2013
BOMBSHELL: Doug Shulman met with Danny Werfel TWO DAYS before discriminatory targeting criteria were updated! pic.twitter.com/mvHw97MS3L
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 3, 2013
Hmmm.
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