Chavez-DeRemer casts first votes to end proxy voting, rein in ‘unchecked IRS spending’

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Monday evening, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) cast her first votes, supporting a rules package that will govern the 118th Congress and The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act. 

“Tonight, I supported commonsense efforts to ensure that the government answers to the people. By requiring members to show up to vote, beefing up oversight measures, and reining in unchecked IRS funding, my first votes will improve accountability and address out-of-control spending. As promised, we’re starting the important work of getting our country back on track,” Chavez-DeRemer said.

Background

The 118th Congress Rules Package contains a number of provisions that establish the operating guidelines for the U.S. House of Representatives. With the goal of ensuring the House is open, transparent, and accountable to the people, the adopted package includes rules that end the use of proxy voting and remote committee proceedings, call for committees to establish plans to conduct oversight of the executive branch, and require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to assess how legislation could impact inflation.

The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act focuses on the $80 billion in Internal Revenue Service funding passed in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. While most of the funding was geared toward enforcement, including through hiring 87,000 new agents, there were no oversight or accountability measures included. The nonpartisan CBO found it would cause audit rates to “rise for all taxpayers.” The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act rescinds all new IRS funding that would be used for targeting middle-class families and small businesses.