U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), the chair of the far-right House Freedom Caucus and allegedly “central to the planning of January 6,” is bragging about Speaker Mike Johnson‘s legislation tying emergency aid to help Israel combat Hamas terrorists with Republicans’ efforts to defund the IRS.
When House Republicans unveiled their bill Monday afternoon, reaction was immediate. Critics are blasting Speaker Johnson and the GOP for, as one top Democratic staffer said, “exploiting a war to pass a tax cut for the rich.”
Republicans are claiming that using funds allocated to the IRS, which President Joe Biden accomplished as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, will “offset” the $14.3 billion the bill will provide to Israel. Critics charge it will actually cost Americans more, since it hampers the IRS’ ability to collect taxes owed to the U.S.
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News outlets are portraying the bill, which is Speaker Johnson’s first major act, as a play against President Joe Biden and against Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – both of whom want aid to Israel to come from a stand-alone bill.
But Congressman Perry’s remarks may be a better peek inside House Republicans’ real goal.
“I mean, no one in America says you can fix all of America’s problems or Israel’s problems if we just hire more IRS agents,” Congressman Perry told Fox News on Monday, adding that Speaker Johnson is “going to make the the Senate Democrats and Republicans, and some Republicans in the House, and of course House Democrats choose between the IRS or supporting our greatest ally, against an unprovoked terror attack on their soil. I think it’s an easy choice, quite honestly.”
Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman says Democrats will “reject” the bill immediately.
Watch Congressman Perry’s remarks below or at this link.