WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott, joined by Senators Ted Budd and Mike Braun, introduced the Blocking the Adverse and Dramatic Increased Reliance on Surveillance (BAD IRS) Activities Act, which would rescind the roughly $70 billion in IRS funding appropriated by the so-called Inflation Reduction Act for hiring 87,000 new IRS agents, and repeal the invasive and unnecessary reporting requirements on gig workers and small businesses put in place by the Democrats in their reckless American Rescue Plan.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Across America, families are struggling to keep up with Joe Biden’s raging inflation crisis, while skyrocketing interest rates are holding them back from everything from home ownership to starting a business. This is what happens when Washington spends decades recklessly spending taxpayer money and racking up $31 trillion of debt. In the face of these hardships for hardworking families, instead of cutting taxes and regulations to grow our economy and encourage job creation, Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington are hell bent on growing government and hiking your taxes to pay for it. There’s no denying their intentions and they even approved $70 BILLION for 87,000 new IRS agents to make sure they squeeze every penny possible out of American families to fund their radical agenda. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The last thing folks need is more government in their lives and my BAD IRS Activities Act will stop Biden and the Democrats from using the IRS to terrorize the American people and raise your taxes. Increasing costs and regulations on already-struggling Americans is wrong and I won’t stop fighting to put an end to it.”

Senator Ted Budd said, “We should not be hiring 87,000 new IRS agents to treat working families and small startup businesses like tax cheats. We should be removing harmful regulatory barriers so that we can jumpstart economic growth and see wages rise. Big thanks to Senator Rick Scott for leading this pro-growth legislation.”

Senator Mike Braun said, “The IRS has far outrun its intended purpose, and President Biden’s $70 billion army of bureaucrats is just the latest excess. I’m proud to cosponsor this bill to bring this agency closer to what it’s supposed to be doing.”

The BAD IRS Activities Act would:

• Rescind any unobligated funding as appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act to hire 87,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents, which would harass and audit even more American families and small businesses.
• Senator Scott’s language previously received an amendment vote during consideration of the continuing resolution on December 15, 2022. All Republican Senators present voted in favor. (Senate amendment to H.R.1437, with Scott (FL) amendment #6540)  
• Repeal the tax increase Democrats placed on working class gig and sharing economy independent contractors in the American Rescue Plan, which requires companies to send 1099-K forms to gig workers and independent contractors earning at least $600 a year on any number of transactions, dramatically increasing the prior requirement of $20,000 a year on at least 200 transactions.
• Senator Scott previously filed the language in two separate bills last Congress, S.4798 and S.948.

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