- A GOP-led bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives intends to disarm IRS agents who carry guns. The legislation was introduced by Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, on Tuesday.
- The only IRS agents who carry guns are with the agency’s law enforcement branch which investigates serious financial crimes.
- The bill has yet to be brought up for a vote and reportedly would be unlikely to pass in the U.S. Senate if it is approved by the House.
Full Story
A Republican-led effort in the U.S. House of Representatives is aiming to strip Internal Revenue Service agents of guns and ammunition.
Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama introduced a bill on Tuesday, April 15, dubbed the “Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act?”
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How does it work?
The legislation would ban the IRS from using taxpayer dollars to purchase, obtain or retain any firearms or ammunition. The bill would require IRS agents to turn in their guns and ammunition to the General Services Administration (GSA), which would then go up for sale or auction.
The guns would be sold off to “licensed dealers” and all the ammunition would be auctioned off to the general public within 30 days. Money raised from the sell-offs would go into a “general fund of the Treasury” to be used exclusively for the “purpose of deficit reduction,” as the bill states.
What is Moore saying?
In a statement released Tuesday, Moore said, “The IRS has consistently been weaponized against American citizens, targeted religious organizations, journalists, gun owners, and everyday Americans.
“Arming these agents does not make the American public safer,” Moore stated. “The only thing IRS agents should be armed with are calculators.”
Moore says the bill additionally, “Transfers the IRS Criminal Investigation Division to be folded into the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) jurisdiction.”
Why is Moore pursuing the effort?
Moore claims that he introduced the bill to address a major funding increase for the IRS during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 under the Inflation Reduction Act. The effort included the hiring of more IRS agents and the purchase of $10 million worth of firearms and protective gear, such as body armor and shields.
These purchases were in addition to the nearly 1,200 reported firearms the agency already had, including shotguns, rifles, submachine guns and five million rounds of ammunition, according to a report by OpenBooks. Critics argue that the additional funding was necessary for the IRS, which they say has been underfunded for years.
Why do some IRS agents carry guns?
The only IRS agents authorized to carry firearms and with arrest powers are with the Criminal Investigations Division. These agents have carried guns since 1919 as they deal with financial crimes, including money laundering, identity theft and the funding of terrorist networks.
Officials note that these IRS agents often find themselves in high-risk situations, like executing search and arrest warrants.
How likely is the bill to become law?
Moore’s bill has yet to make it to the House floor. However, Moore said he’s optimistic his legislation will get a vote eventually. The legislation, however, faces an uphill battle in the U.S. Senate, where it reportedly would not have enough votes to reach President Donald Trump’s desk.
