Republicans in the House say the Internal Revenue Service has overstepped its bounds one too many times — most recently, by putting conservative and tea party nonprofit applications in its crosshairs — and it’s high time to get rid of the commissioner’s position.
The recommendation is one of 15 that Republicans with the House Oversight Committee brought forward to reform the IRS. But on the notion of reducing bureaucracy, even Republicans seem one step forward, two steps back: Their suggested plan of action also included creation of a multi-member commission to take over the individual commissioner duties, The Hill reported.
First, the Oversight report: “The IRS has grown to become a partisan policy-making body and full-fledged arm of the administration in power,” The Hill reported. Thus, the recommendation to spread the commissioner’s role among a body of IRS regulators on a panel.
Then, the criticism — this time, from Rep. Elijah Cummings, a top Democrat on the Oversight panel, The Hill reported.
“How in the world does this make sense? Chairman [Darrell] Issa has been criticizing over-politicized boards for years, including at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Chemical Safety Board, but now he wants to establish one at the IRS?”
GOPers say the panel would actually prove less political than the sole commissioner slot because members would come from both parties, and in effect, be nonpartisan.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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