A House Republican is demanding a complete inventory of the Internal Revenue Service’s firearms and tactical gear, citing reports of the tax agency spending roughly $10 million on these goods in the last three years.
Republican Alarmed by IRS Militarization
Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma, voiced her worries about the Internal Revenue Service’s growing acquisition of guns in a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.
According to the findings of the oversight panel, the IRS has spent $2.3 million on ammunition since the year 2020, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests.
Rep. Stephanie Bice asked Commissioner Daniel Werfel for details on the financing sources used for the procurement of weapons and equipment in a letter, asking for a response within a week. She also requested information on the inventory of various equipment held by the IRS, including chemical weapons, drones/UAVs, armored vehicles, ammunition, and explosive devices.
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Worth $10M Amount of Spending since 2020
According to the New York Post, the IRS had a stockpile of 5 million rounds of ammunition for its 2,159 special agents by 2020.
Rep. Stephanie Bice, vice chair of the House Republican Main Street Caucus, referenced an OpenTheBooks report that found the IRS spent roughly $10 million on firearms, ammo, and military-style equipment since 2020. When adjusted for inflation, the total expenditures since 2006 total $35.2 million, according to the figures.