rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/the-senate-must-act-and-preserve-irs-funding?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-the-senate-must-act-and-preserve-irs-funding' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Patriotic Millionaires https://actionnetwork.org/groups/patriotic-millionaires https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/groups/default_facebook_images/000/254/238/original/PatMillz.jpg?1657828704 The House passed legislation negotiated by President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the debt ceiling for two years -- but the legislation includes a drastic funding cut to the IRS. In the legislation, the IRS would lose $21.39 billion of the $80 billion allocated to it in last year's Inflation Reduction Act -- a 27% cut. That funding was largely meant to go after wealthy tax cheats whose refusal to pay their taxes is the main reason the IRS is losing $1 trillion in unpaid taxes each year. While we are relieved the federal government is avoiding a default, an organization like ours finds it impossible to support any deal that diminishes revenue through helping the rich avoid paying their already inadequate tax obligations to the country. This deal should end once and for all the pretense that the GOP actually cares about the debt. Cracking down on tax cheats adds nothing to the deficit -- in fact, it does the opposite by bringing in a substantial amount of money for the federal government. We cannot take Republicans seriously when they claim to care about the deficit then turn around and get rid of a significant revenue raiser that doesn’t even raise taxes - it just asks rich tax cheats to pay what they already legally owe. Now the bill goes onto the Senate, where Senators still have an opportunity to add last minute amendments to the bill. It’s a long shot, but we’re rallying our allies to add an amendment to the legislation that would fully restore the IRS funding -- with votes expected as soon as tonight. This rollback of IRS funding is the exact opposite of “fiscal responsibility,” to say nothing of the most basic question of fairness -- Why should everyday Americans have to pay their fair share while multimillionaires and billionaires don’t? Republicans pushed for this funding cut for one reason and one reason only: to protect their wealthy tax cheating donors. It’s been their priority from the start - the very first bill passed by the Republican House this session was legislation that would have pulled back virtually all of the increased funding the IRS is set to receive. And with them already promising their next legislative priority is to make the Trump tax cuts permanent, which by many estimates will cost $3.5 trillion, it will continue to be their priority in the future. If it passes as-is, this bill will buy us two years of relief on the debt ceiling. But in two years we’re going to have this debt ceiling fight again at the same time the 2017 Trump tax cuts are expiring. Republicans have shown time and time again that they’ll do whatever it takes to cut taxes for their rich donors, and we know that in 2025 this fight is going to be fiercer than ever. We cannot allow the ultra-wealthy to continue to get away with breaking laws and cheating. The Senate must act and preserve the IRS funding. Click “Start Writing” to send a direct message to your Senators urging them to add an amendment preserving funding to the IRS now. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/the-senate-must-act-and-preserve-irs-funding