House Democrats press Bessent on IRS layoffs
Source: Aol/The Hill
Thu, April 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM EDT
House Democrats led by Rep. Brad Schneider (Ill.) pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on mass layoffs at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in a Wednesday letter requesting the Trump administration’s plan for slated reductions and their potential impact on taxpayer services.
“The Administration has already fired 7,400 probationary employees — or seven percent of all IRS employees, mostly from enforcement staff — and has implemented a hiring freeze,” Schneider and 22 additional lawmakers wrote.
“Additionally, 4,700 employees at IRS have accepted the deferred resignation offer. Reporting has shown that as IRS agents leave the agency, the IRS is closing audits before they are complete, and some were even closed without seeking money owed,” they added, citing a Wall Street Journal article.
The rollbacks come as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to sensitive taxpayer data while recommending “non-essential” contracts for termination. Senate Democrats called attention to the issue, but their colleagues in the House said the intent to share citizens’ personal data is now widespread.
Read more: https://www.aol.com/house-democrats-press-bessent-irs-204142201.html
Link to LETTER (PDF) - https://schneider.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/schneider.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/letter-to-treasury-on-irs-changes-final-25.04.02_0.pdf