Politics

Renacci introduces bill to make IRS political targeting a fireable offense

Alexis Levinson Political Reporter
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Internal Revenue Service employees who inappropriately target people because of their religious beliefs could be fired under a bill proposed Tuesday by Rep. Jim Renacci.

Renacci, an Ohio Republican, introduced the bill Tuesday in response to the controversy surrounding the IRS’s applying extra scrutiny to groups based on their political beliefs.

“Americans are rightly upset no one has been fired by the IRS for the admitted targeting of political groups by employees at the agency,” he said in a statement. “There are, however, policies in place to immediately terminate an IRS employee for specific offenses. Unfortunately, targeting a group or individual for their political beliefs is not one of them. My bill would close that loophole by giving the head of the IRS the ability to fire an employee for engaging in political targeting.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Tuesday morning that he will introduce a package of bills “to stop government abuse” and combat the American people’s “growing sense of distrust of what this administration and what Washington is doing.” That package will reportedly include a bill that would allow the people to record their conversations with federal enforcement officials, and another that would bar the IRS from implementing Obamacare, as it is supposed to do.

Renacci communications director Shawn Ryan told The Daily Caller that Renacci “would love to see his bill included in the package of bills” and that “He and our staff will be working to accomplish that goal, but he understands that any determination either way is up to the Leader.”

The bill currently has 34 co-sponsors, most of whom are Republicans. The two Democrats sponsoring the bill are Delaware Rep. John Carney and Maryland Rep. John Delaney. Renacci and his staff are working to get the support of more members on both sides of the aisle.

“The public trust has been violated. My legislation would give the IRS a vital tool needed to begin the process of showing hardworking American taxpayers that there will be accountability going forward,” Renacci said.

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