House Republicans are back to business under new Speaker Mike Johnson, and one of the first bills — the “Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024” — would provide $14.3 billion (between now and September 20, 2024) to support Israel in its war against Hamas.
Despite some objections on the far left, support for Israel is a general point of agreement for lawmakers in both parties, though the details of how that support is provided and paid finds little consensus across the aisle.
The White House wants to tie support for Israel with support for Ukraine, asserting that both countries are endangered by despotic forces which threaten a global order that undergirds American security. (The White House plan also asks Congress to fund additional security at the U.S. southwest border and the Indo-Pacific region in the same broad security plan.)
But despite Johnson’s previously stated Ukraine support — unusual among MAGA adherents — the House GOP is presenting an Israel-only bill.
The GOP bill — in what it labels budgetary offsets — wants to claw back money “appropriated or to otherwise made available for activities of the Internal Revenue Service” in the Inflation Reduction Act.
In a section of the bill called “Rescission of Certain Balances Made Available To The Internal Revenue Service,” reads “as of the date of the enactment of this Act, $14,300,000,000 are hereby rescinded.” The GOP has consistently fought against IRS funding, despite the agency.
This month the IRS announced a plan to use the Inflation Reduction Act funds to target entities, including “high-income individuals” that aren’t reliably paying what is owed under the current system.
The IRS said it was launching “new initiatives to ensure large corporations pay taxes owed. As these initiatives to improve compliance among high-income individuals, complex partnerships and large corporations ramp up, the IRS is continuing its work to improve customer service and modernize core technology infrastructure.”
Soooooo rich people can continue to cheat —- and MAGA can continue to scream IRS is coming for the middle working class.
— Outspoken™️ (@Out5p0ken) October 30, 2023
Shut up with these 🤡
