{"id":2085339,"date":"2023-10-31T13:51:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T17:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yellen-throws-a-fit-over-reducing-irs-expenses-to-fund-israel-aid\/"},"modified":"2023-10-31T13:56:48","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T17:56:48","slug":"yellen-throws-a-fit-over-reducing-irs-expenses-to-fund-israel-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yellen-throws-a-fit-over-reducing-irs-expenses-to-fund-israel-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Yellen Upset by Cutting IRS Costs for Israel Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fyellen-throws-a-fit-over-reducing-irs-expenses-to-fund-israel-aid%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2085339&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>The Biden White House&#8217;s Reluctance\u200c to Aid\u200d Israel&#8217;s Defense<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The Biden White\u2064 House is suddenly\u2064 less willing to aid Israel\u2019s \u200bdefense against Hamas terrorists now that Republicans have suggested dipping into the \u2064IRS\u2019s recent \u2064funding bump \u2014 which the\u2062 agency will doubtless use to keep targeting conservatives and protecting Democrats \u2014 to pay for it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Monday, Treasury Secretary \u2062Janet\u200c Yellen lashed out at House \u2064Republicans for introducing legislation that \u2063would provide aid to Israel using a fraction \u200cof\u2064 the taxpayer dollars previously \u200ballocated to drastically increase funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). \u200bAccording to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/mollybohannon\/2023\/10\/30\/house-republicans-propose-aiding-israel-by-cutting-irs-funding-from-bidens-inflation-reduction-act\/?sh=6d5a7cf0687a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Forbes<\/a>, the $14.3 billion proposal\u200b would be paid for\u200d by slashing some of \u201cthe extra\u200c [IRS] \u200dfunding\u2064 approved in President Joe Biden\u2019s\u2064 Inflation \u2064Reduction\u2064 Act.\u201d The legislation \u2062was \u200bintroduced a little more than a week\u200b after the \u2063White House proposed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/10\/20\/politics\/us-israel-ukraine-aid-package\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$105 billion spending \u200bpackage<\/a> that would force Congress \u200bto ship more billions to \u2064Ukraine \u200bas a package deal with U.S. aid\u2064 to Israel.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-154330879\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-147ce74e24c117047fec2f31cbefc42a fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-147ce74e24c117047fec2f31cbefc42a\"><\/div>\n<h3>The Impact of IRS \u2064Funding on Israel&#8217;s \u200dAid<\/h3>\n<p>For context, \u2064the wrongly named \u201cInflation Reduction Act,\u201d \u2062which was <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/democrats-pass-health-climate-tax-bill-party-lines\/story?id=88314105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passed<\/a> \u2063along party lines by \u200dthe then-Democrat-controlled Congress last year, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/p4phd#selection-1875.122-1875.157\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">earmarked<\/a> \u2062 about $80 billion for an increase\u2063 in\u200c IRS\u2064 funding. These extra \u2062billions opened the door \u200bfor the \u200cagency to hire roughly \u201c87,000 additional \u2063employees over a decade, doubling the size \u200cof its\u200d workforce.\u201d As The Federalist\u2019s Elle \u2063Purnell previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/08\/09\/democrats-didnt-pass-their-toxic-spending-spree-for-midterms-but-in-spite-of-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">noted<\/a>, Democrat claims that the extra funding \u200cempowered the \u200bagency to \u2062\u201ccrack down on mega-corporations\u201d fall flat when considering that the\u2063 majority\u200c of \u2062IRS audits <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/graphics\/eitc-audit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">appear<\/a> to be targeted\u200c towards Republican-friendly states in the South\u200b and West.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, there\u2019s a \u201cconspicuous shortage of audits in the Northeast\u200b and California,\u201d which are more Democrat-friendly.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI think if you \u2064put [House Republicans\u2019 proposal] to the American\u2062 people and they\u2062 weigh the two needs, I think they\u2019re going to say standing\u200c with Israel and protecting the\u200b innocent over there is in our\u200d national interest and is \u200ba more immediate need than IRS agents,\u201d newly\u200b sworn-in House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/mollybohannon\/2023\/10\/30\/house-republicans-propose-aiding-israel-by-cutting-irs-funding-from-bidens-inflation-reduction-act\/?sh=6d5a7cf0687a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> Fox News. \u2064 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>House Republicans\u2019 plan to return IRS spending to levels seen a few years ago didn\u2019t sit too well\u2064 with \u2062Yellen, who took to X to\u2064 throw a tantrum over \u2064the\u200d proposal. After conflating \u2063support for America\u2019s longstanding Middle Eastern ally with support for a \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/world\/top-zelenskyy-adviser-admits-the-truth-about-corruption-in-ukraine-people-are-stealing-like-theres-no-tomorrow\/ar-AA1j9Gwl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">corrupt \u2064Ukraine<\/a>, Yellen baselessly <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecYellen\/status\/1719154013533294736?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed<\/a> the GOP bill \u200bwould indirectly \u201cundermine[]\u201d U.S. national\u2063 security \u2064and \u201cweaken our efforts\u200b to\u2064 modernize the IRS \u2013 efforts \u200cwhich reduce the deficit, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/treasury-dept-claims-majority-of-87000-new-hires-will-provide-customer-service-raising-questions\/\" title=\"Treasury Dept. Claims Majority Of 87,000 New Hires Will Provide \u2018Customer Service,\u2019 Raising Questions\">improve customer service<\/a> for Americans, and\u200c make sure that wealthy \u2064tax cheats pay what \u200dthey owe.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-748f3a9a78d2e1ef0868640289d3a196 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-748f3a9a78d2e1ef0868640289d3a196\"><\/div>\n<p>Clearly, the \u2064administration\u2019s effort thus far\u2064 to \u2063\u201cmodernize\u201d the IRS \u2062doesn\u2019t mean \u2064shrinking the deficit but\u200d rather adding trillions of dollars to the U.S. national debt. In \u2062the first \u2062two and\u200d half years of Joe Biden\u2019s presidency, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.self.inc\/blog\/us-national-debt-under-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national debt\u200b rose<\/a> by $4.8 trillion, going from $27.8 trillion in\u200d January 2021 to $32.6 trillion \u2062in July 2023. \u200c <\/p>\n<p>But the \u200dadministration\u2019s desperate \u200bbacklash against House \u2063Republicans\u2019\u2062 proposal to \u2063reallocate a small portion of \u200cIRS funding isn\u2019t surprising given that the agency has acted as a political arm\u200d of \u2063the Democrat Party for years. During the Obama administration, the IRS got <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2023\/05\/10\/its-been-10-years-since-the-irss-tea-party-scandal-will-congress-finally-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">busted<\/a> for intentionally delaying applications for\u200c \u201ctax-exempt\u2064 status from \u2064right-of-center organizations\u201d\u2064 leading up to \u200bthe\u2063 2012 elections. Numbering\u200b in\u2063 the hundreds, these groups \u200dwere \u201cimproperly subjected \u2064to \u2062baseless investigations,\u2064 invasive\u2064 and \u2064improper demands about their donors, and lengthy delays in processing \u200broutine \u200dpaperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) ultimately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-tax-conservative-idUSKBN1CV1TY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">settled<\/a> \u200c with dozens \u2062of \u200cthese groups\u200b in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, the agency \u200dappears to have gone \u200dto great lengths\u2064 to protect the\u200c Bidens\u2019\u2062 widespread corruption. \u200cEarlier this year, an\u2062 IRS whistleblower <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/05\/16\/whistleblower-irs-removed-my-entire-investigative-team-on-the-hunter-biden-tax-probe-at-dojs-request\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revealed<\/a> that the\u2064 agency\u2062 removed he and his \u201centire investigative team\u201d\u2063 tasked with working \u200bon the Hunter\u2064 Biden probe\u2063 at the behest of the DOJ. Hunter, who has publicly <a href=\"https:\/\/justthenews.com\/accountability\/political-ethics\/hldsenior-irs-agent-blows-whistle-alleging-bide-doj-thwarting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">admitted<\/a> for years to being under criminal \u200binvestigation\u200d for\u2062 tax fraud, was <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/06\/hunter-biden-seeks-dismissal-of-felony-gun-charges-says-sweetheart-plea-deal-gives-him-immunity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">indicted<\/a> \u2064last \u200bmonth on \u201cthree felonies related to his unlawful purchase of a firearm in 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-79d25bbaae276dc97eb37c78a9cfc42e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-79d25bbaae276dc97eb37c78a9cfc42e\"><\/div>\n<p>On top\u200d of covering for the Bidens, the agency was\u200d also the source of\u200d an illegal \u2063leak of former President Donald \u200bTrump\u2019s tax returns. Last week, former\u2064 IRS\u200c contractor Charles\u200c Littlejohn <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/27\/irs-leaker-who-stole-trumps-tax-returns-gets-slap-on-the-wrist-from-biden-doj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pled guilty<\/a> to doing just that,\u2064 having previously disclosed such information to The New York Times and ProPublica. Littlejohn is slated\u200b to receive little more than \u2064a slap on the\u2062 wrist \u2063for his crimes.<\/p>\n<p>As The\u200b Federalist <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/27\/irs-leaker-who-stole-trumps-tax-returns-gets-slap-on-the-wrist-from-biden-doj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, the\u2062 DOJ \u2063charged Littlejohn with \u201cone count\u2064 of \u2018disclosing tax return\u200b information without authorization,&#8217;\u201d\u2064 which normally \u201ccarries a\u200c maximum penalty\u200c of five years in prison.\u201d\u200c A plea agreement announced \u200cby \u200bprosecutors, however,\u2063 recommends the former IRS contractor \u201cserve eight to 14 months in prison and pay a fine of up to $40,000.\u201d A judge will ultimately have\u200d the final\u200c say on \u2062whether the agreement is approved.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the possible implications of the Biden\u2062 administration&#8217;s reluctance to\u200c support legislation that prioritizes Israel&#8217;s defense needs?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Re Democratic-leaning states. This suggests that the IRS is using its resources to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ap-targets-tpusas-charlie-kirk-with-cheap-shot-hit-job\/\" title=\"AP takes aim at TPUSA's Charlie Kirk with biased hit piece.\">target conservative individuals<\/a> and businesses, rather than focusing on legitimate tax \u2063enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Given this context, it is understandable why\u200b House Republicans are proposing\u200c to reallocate some of the IRS funding \u2064to aid Israel&#8217;s defense\u200d against Hamas terrorists. Israel has long been a strategic ally of the\u2063 United \u200bStates \u200dand has \u2062faced numerous threats to its \u2063security, \u2062including attacks from Hamas. Providing aid to Israel is not\u2062 only a moral \u200cimperative but also serves U.S.\u2064 national\u2062 interests in promoting\u200c stability in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>However, the \u200dBiden White House has shown reluctance to support this legislation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&#8217;s criticism of \u200dthe Republican proposal indicates a lack of willingness to prioritize Israel&#8217;s defense\u2062 needs.\u200d Instead,\u200b the\u2063 White House \u2062is focused on allocating taxpayer dollars to other areas, such as the proposed\u2062 spending package for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>While providing aid to Ukraine may have its \u2062own merits, it \u200bis disconcerting that\u2063 the \u2064Biden administration is seemingly sidelining Israel&#8217;s security concerns. \u200bThe idea of tying U.S. aid to Israel with\u200d aid to Ukraine raises \u200bquestions about the administration&#8217;s priorities in the region. It suggests a willingness to politicize foreign aid and use it \u200cas leverage for \u2063other geopolitical objectives.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the fact that the IRS&#8217;s funding increase was primarily directed towards hiring new employees rather than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yellen-throws-a-fit-over-reducing-irs-expenses-to-fund-israel-aid\/\" title=\"Yellen Upset by Cutting IRS Costs for Israel Aid\">improving tax \u2062enforcement efforts raises doubts<\/a> about \u200dthe agency&#8217;s \u2064effectiveness. If the IRS is\u200b not using\u200d its resources efficiently\u200d to\u200b target tax evasion and fraud, \u2062then \u200breallocating some of its funding to\u2062 aid Israel&#8217;s defense seems like a reasonable proposal.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the Republican \u200dlegislation\u200c argue that it\u200d is a responsible \u2062use of taxpayer dollars.\u2063 By \u2062redirecting\u200b funds from an\u200c agency with questionable targeting practices towards supporting a crucial\u2064 ally,\u2062 the legislation aims to promote \u200cboth fiscal prudence\u2063 and national security \u200cinterests.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial for the Biden White House to prioritize the security needs\u200d of our \u200callies. Israel&#8217;s defense against Hamas terrorists\u200b should be a \u200btop concern, particularly given the recent escalation \u200dof violence in the region. The reluctance to aid Israel&#8217;s defense, coupled with the questionable practices \u200dof the IRS, raises concerns about the administration&#8217;s commitment to protecting American interests and supporting our \u200ballies.<\/p>\n<p>As this legislation moves forward \u200cin Congress, it is important for lawmakers\u2064 to consider the implications of their decisions. The United States has \u2062a\u2064 longstanding commitment to Israel&#8217;s security, and \u2062it is essential that this commitment\u2064 remains unwavering.\u200b Allocating taxpayer dollars \u2064to aid \u200bIsrael&#8217;s \u200bdefense is\u2064 not only a sound\u200d policy decision \u2064but also a demonstration of our continued support for a key ally in a volatile region. The Biden administration must reconsider its reluctance to \u200cprioritize Israel&#8217;s security and ensure \u2064that our actions \u200balign with our values and strategic\u2063 interests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration&#8217;s support for Israel&#8217;s defense against Hamas terrorists has waned due to Republican proposals to use the IRS&#8217;s increased funding to cover the costs. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen criticized this move on Monday, implying that the agency would prioritize targeting conservatives and safeguarding Democrats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2085340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2085339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2085339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2085340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2085339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2085339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2085339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}