Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Monday introduced legislation that would sell off millions of dollars of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) firearms to pay for the national debt.
As America approaches Tax Day on Tuesday, Ernst introduced the Why Does the IRS Needs Guns Act to reform how the agency handles firearms. The Iowa senator introduced the legislation after reports from Open the Books have suggested the IRS would one of the top 50 largest police departments based on its headcount and stockpiling of firearms and ammunition.
“Why is the IRS wasting millions of our tax dollars stockpiling guns and ammo?” Ernst asked rhetorically in a written statement.
She continued, “This is especially concerning, given the history of partisan witch hunts within the agency, and the fact it is more common for IRS agents to accidentally fire their weapon, than to do so intentionally. I am selling off the agency’s firearms, using the proceeds to pay down the bloated national debt, and recommending firearm safety courses for these tax collectors.”
“Since 2006, the IRS spent $35.2 million on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment (CPI adjusted). The years 2020 and 2021 were peak years at the IRS for purchasing weaponry and gear. Just since the pandemic started, the IRS has purchased $10 million in weaponry and gear,” Open the Books wrote.
Since 2020, the IRS has spent at least $10 million on firearms and ammunition for its roughly 2,100 special agents.
A 2021 report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) discovered special agents at the IRS Criminal Investigation Division accidentally fired their weapons more often than they intentionally fired them.
In late March, Ernst unveiled a proposal for major reform to the IRS, which has been labeled America’s “least favorite government agency.” This includes:
- Eliminate duplicative auditing of all taxpayers and entities, including passthroughs
- Hold all federal employees, especially IRS officials, to the same tax compliance standards as the average American
- Review the EIN (Employer Identification Number) online application tool to make it available to the public at all times
“The IRS has consistently been weaponized against American citizens, targeted religious organizations, journalists, gun owners, and everyday Americans,” Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), who introduced the House companion legislation, said in a written statement.
“Arming these agents does not make the American public safer. My legislation, the Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act, would disarm these agents, auction off their guns to Federal Firearms License Owners, and sell their ammunition to the public. The only thing IRS agents should be armed with are calculators.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
