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Steel, Smith Statement on House Passage of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act

January 9, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement after the House passed of H.R. 23, the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, their bill to prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from using its massive, $80 billion infusion of taxpayer dollars to squeeze more revenue out of American taxpayers:

 “The Administration’s $80 billion plan to hire 87,000 new IRS agents and target Americans with a flood of audits was absurd from the start, especially as families and small business owners struggle under skyrocketing prices brought on by reckless government spending,” said Rep. Steel. “As a lifelong tax fighter, I am proud to introduce this legislation with Rep. Adrian Smith to rescind the funding for the Biden Administration’s reckless attack on taxpayers and see it voted on as our new Majority’s first order of business. Republicans are hitting the ground running to deliver on our promises to American families.”

 “The last thing the American people need right now are more audits from an out-of-control, bloated IRS,” said Smith. “The Inflation Act funding for IRS would lead to the hiring of 87,000 new IRS employees tasked with raising enough revenue to pay for Democrats’ Green New Deal priorities. This is unacceptable, which is why Rep. Steel and I are leading the House of Representatives in a bill to rescind this spending. Our bill leaves in place funding for customer service and IT improvements because IRS is in desperate need of reform, but it protects middle-class families from audits they cannot afford.”

 The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act would rescind the funding for the Biden Administration’s plan to hire 87,000 new IRS agents and block efforts to drastically increase audits on middle class families, while preserving funding for customer service and IT modernization.

See full bill text here.