Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted against the disingenuously named Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, H.R. 23, which cuts Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding that was specifically appropriated to assist Americans with tax filing and to enforce tax compliance.

“It is disappointing that the new Republican majority has chosen to start this Congress this way, with legislation that will increase the burden on American taxpayers and will increase our national deficit,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act does the opposite—eliminating much-needed resources for the IRS to assist families and small business owners in need of assistance with tax matters—from making available IRS agents to answer questions and providing assistance over the computer and telephone to improving taxpayer services and technology.  I know they need this help because nearly 1,000 of my constituents have come to me for assistance with these matters in the last few years.  This bill does not help them, it does not meaningfully address important needs at the IRS, and for these reasons, I voted no.”

Last year, Congresswoman Fletcher voted for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which invests $80 billion to strengthen the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and enforce tax compliance.  The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act rescinds $72 billion of the $80 billion appropriated to the IRS in the IRA and cuts an additional two percent of funding to the agency, which was provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.  Congresswoman Fletcher voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, in December of last year.

A cost estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act would have a net increase of $114 billion on the national deficit.

Congresswoman Fletcher’s Office assists residents of Texas’ Seventh Congressional District with matters before federal agencies, including the IRS.  Her office has successfully closed 930 cases before the IRS for residents of Texas’ Seventh Congressional District.