Senator Steve Daines today at a Senate Finance hearing took President Biden’s nominee for Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to task over the IRS’ lack of transparency surrounding the raid of Highwood Creek Outfitters in Great Falls on June 14th. Daines also questioned Biden’s nominee on the IRS’ plan to use their new 87,000 agents to go after hardworking Montana families.
Click HERE to watch Senator Daines’ remarks.
Daines on the Highwood Creek Outfitters Raid:
“On June 14 of 2023 heavily armed, in fact, 20 heavily armed IRS agents entered the Highwood Creek Outfitters store in Great Falls, Montana, and seized boxes of ATF forms 4473. Let me say that again. Twenty heavily armed IRS agents entered a business, Highwood Creek Outfitters, and seized ATF forms 4473. It’s unclear how these forms pertain to the IRS as they are not a financial document, but rather the background checks, the form that contains personal information on gun purchasers. I’ve filled out many of those forms in firearms I’ve legally purchased in Montana.”
Daines on IRS’ Army of Agents:
“I was discouraged to see the plan that Commissioner Werfel revealed earlier this year outlining how he plans to use the $80 billion allocated the IRS from the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act,’ the 87,000 agents that have been hired to increase audits on Montanans and targeting everyday Americans. While the administration may claim they’re not going to increase taxes on anybody under $400,000, their actions say otherwise.
“These actions show the IRS isn’t going after wealthy tax cheats, that are going after main street businesses. Meanwhile, my office hears from constituents every day, they’re trying to reach the IRS and at best they’re on hold listening to mediocre 70’s music on hold for hours before reaching an agent and at worst, not able to make any contact at all.”
PRESS RELEASE PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE OF US SENATOR STEVE DAINES