GOP bill would bolster firing power at IRS

A group of Republican Senators is pressing legislation that would grant the IRS commissioner new authority to fire high-ranking employees for poor performance or misconduct. 

The IRS Accountability Act of 2015 would apply to agency employees in senior executive positions. The lawmakers have expressed outrage that the IRS commissioner has not yet used its existing firing authority to dismiss employees involved in targeting taxpayers for their political orientation.

{mosads}“For too long the American people have been told there was nothing the IRS Commissioner could do to hold IRS employees who targeted conservative and religious organizations accountable for their actions,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a news release. “That’s not good enough for the American people and that’s not good enough for me, and that’s why I’m pleased to join my colleagues to introduce legislation making it easier to fire poorly performing senior executives at the IRS.” 

The IRS commissioner has some authority currently to fire employees for certain types of misconduct, but the administration hasn’t fired anyone who targeted taxpayers based on their political beliefs because it has claimed that only mismanagement occurred, rather than a crime, according to the release.  

Under the bill, the commissioner would have the clear ability to remove a senior executive in the agency if the employee’s performance or misconduct warrants it, with misconduct including “neglect of duty, malfeasance, or failure to accept a directed reassignment or to accompany a position in a transfer of function.” The release states that examples of misconduct could include threatening to audit someone for personal gain, falsifying or destroying records and failing to file timely tax returns. 

In addition to Scott, the sponsors of the bill include Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). Burr also introduced a bill in October that would bar IRS employees who chair on their taxes from receiving bonuses. 

“IRS employees must be held accountable for misconduct,” Burr said. “Under the current policy, high-ranking IRS officials can cheat on their taxes, lie to Congress, even threaten to audit people for personal gain — all without risking their six-figure government salaries. This misconduct is absolutely unacceptable and I am confident we will put a stop to it. The American people deserve better.” 

The bill is modeled after legislation Congress passed last year that allows the Veterans Affairs secretary to fire senior employees for misconduct.