Originally published June 14, 2023 9:00 am PDT
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has announced her initiative to halt the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) expenditure of taxpayer funds for armament.
The IRS has been reported to have spent $35.2 million since 2006 on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment, with $10 million expended since 2020 alone.
“The taxman is fully loaded at the expense of the taxpayer,” stated Ernst, expressing her concern over the agency’s acquisitions.
“As the Biden administration has worked to expand the size of the IRS, any further weaponization of this federal agency against hardworking Americans and small businesses is a grave concern. I’m working to disarm the IRS and return these dollars to address reckless spending in Washington.”
The purchases made by the IRS are reportedly used by its Criminal Investigation Division, which is in charge of federal tax crimes.
OpenTheBooks auditors have revealed that the IRS has purchased military-grade weaponry such as AR-15 style rifles, semi-automatic shotguns, and even submachine guns while stockpiling 5 million rounds of ammunition.
“The IRS isn’t going to war, so just who are they preparing to battle?” asked Adam Andrzejewski, Founder and CEO of Open the Books.
He further added, “The IRS special agent is starting to look less like a desk worker or rule maker and more like a SWAT team from a Hollywood thriller. It’s the blurring of the lines between a tax agency and traditional law enforcement.”
In response to these revelations, Senator Ernst is advocating for the ‘Why Does the IRS Have Guns Act.’
The proposed Act aims to prohibit the IRS from buying, receiving, or storing guns and ammunition.
It also aims to transfer all guns and ammo currently in the IRS’ possession to the General Services Administration.
The Act proposes that these guns and ammunition be auctioned off to Federal Firearms License owners, with the proceeds devoted to deficit reduction.
In addition, it seeks to relocate the IRS Criminal Investigation Division within the Justice Department.
Ernst’s initiative appears to be aimed at reducing the militarization of the IRS and controlling the agency’s “reckless spending.”
Her concerns reflect a broader debate over the weaponization and role of various federal agencies in the United States.
