WATCH: DeSantis says IRS expansion is Biden giving US ‘middle finger’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis equated the expansion of the IRS to the Biden administration giving people “the middle finger.”
“Of all the things that have come out of Washington that have been outrageous, this has got to be pretty close to the top,” the Republican said at a Wednesday press conference. “I think it was basically just the middle finger to the American public, that this is what they think of you.”
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President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included $80 billion to overhaul the IRS with more than 80,000 new positions largely intended for taxation enforcement.
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“They’re not putting very much might at the border, I can tell you that right now…” pic.twitter.com/LtzLZm1LfY
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 17, 2022
DeSantis suggested the legislation means Washington, D.C., will be “going after you.”
“They are going to go after independent contractors. They’re going to go after small-business people. They’re going to go after someone that may be driving an Uber or a handyman or all these things,” DeSantis said. “Why would they do that? Because you’re not going to be able to contend with the audit — so they’re going to crush a lot of people by doing that.”
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig defended the legislation, saying it will offer additional services to taxpayers.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
“The IRS has struggled for many years with insufficient resources to fulfill our important mission,” Rettig said. ”During the next 10 years, these funds will help us in many areas, including adding critical resources to not just close the tax gap but meaningfully improve taxpayer service and technology.”
In the wake of the FBI’s raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, DeSantis blasted the Inflation Reduction Act as another means by which the federal government can be weaponized.
“The raid of MAL is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves. Now the Regime is getting another 87k IRS agents to wield against its adversaries? Banana Republic,” DeSantis tweeted.
The raid of MAL is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves. Now the Regime is getting another 87k IRS agents to wield against its adversaries? Banana Republic.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) August 9, 2022
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The governor, who is seen as a top Republican presidential contender for 2024 if he embarks on a campaign, has been a Trump ally, receiving the former president’s endorsement during his first run for governor in 2018. DeSantis is running for reelection in Florida this year.
