The White House has formally objected to several bills that have passed the House regarding IRS employment policies, although it stopped short of threatening to veto them.
One bill, HR-1206, would prohibit the IRS from hiring any new employees until the Secretary of the Treasury certifies that no IRS employee has a seriously delinquent debt, or provides a report to the Congress that includes an explanation of why certification is not possible and what would be required to provide such a certification.
“The bill could result in the IRS being prohibited from hiring any new employees for any purpose, a drastic and counterproductive step that would compromise tax administration and taxpayer services. The bill is also unworkable in operation, as seriously delinquent debts could be as low as $1 and tax liens are recorded on a case-by-case basis. This legislation is unnecessary, as strong laws and procedures already exist to ensure that IRS employees comply with their tax obligations,” the administration said.
A second, HR-4890, would ban performance awards to IRS employees until the Treasury Department develops and implements a comprehensive customer service strategy for the IRS. “This bill is unnecessary, as the IRS has already developed and has begun to execute a strategy to improve taxpayer services,” a statement said. “The real constraint on the IRS’s ability to serve taxpayers effectively is severe underfunding, including for taxpayer services. Legislation constraining the IRS’s ability to retain and recruit highly qualified employees is not needed and could be counterproductive to the Service’s mission.”
A third, HR-3724, would prohibit the IRS from rehiring any employee who was involuntarily separated due to misconduct. “The bill as written could force the immediate termination of employees who had been terminated and rehired many years ago, even if their performance since rehiring has been blemish-free. The bill’s prohibition is also unnecessary because current IRS processes already ensure the agency does not rehire former employees who had significant conduct or performance problems during prior employment with the agency,” the statement said.
