Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Tuesday dismissed a push by House Republicans to remove IRS Commissioner John Koskinen shortly before his impeachment hearing began.
Lew called Koskinen “an outstanding public servant” and said an effort to impeach the IRS chief was beneath the House.
{mosads}”Having begun my career working in the House of Representatives, I have deep respect for the institution and believe it should keep its focus on the needs of the American people, not the kind of political agenda that an impeachment vote here would represent,” Lew said in a statement.
Lew’s comments came an hour before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Koskinen’s impeachment.
House Republicans, who’ve long held Koskinen in their crosshairs, claim he lied to Congress and destroyed records central to the House’s probe of the agency’s targeting of conservative groups.
Lew defended Koskinen from those claims, insisting Koskinen has been cooperative from the start, and called for more funding for the IRS.
“Despite facing massive budget cuts, the IRS continues to carry out its mission of enforcing our nation’s tax laws while striving to provide quality service to taxpayers,” said Lew.
“It is critical that John has the tools he needs to keep his focus on driving the important work the IRS conducts on behalf of the American people.”