President Joe Biden ridiculed Republicans on Monday over a new bill that would end the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and income taxes.
During a breakfast speech for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Biden raised concerns about the so-called “Fair Tax Act,” which would end the IRS and income taxes in favor of a national sales tax administered by the states.
“They’re fiscally demented, I think,” he said, referring to Republicans. “They want to raise taxes on the middle class by taxing thousands of everyday items from groceries, gasoline, clothing, and cutting taxes for the wealthiest, because they want to supplant the money lost from taxes on the millionaires and billionaires with a sales tax on virtually everything in the country.”
The “Fair Tax Act” was introduced by GOP Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter last week, who pitched it as a way to ease the tax burden on Americans.
“Instead of adding 87,000 new agents to weaponize the IRS against small business owners and middle America, this bill will eliminate the need for the department entirely by simplifying the tax code with provisions that work for the American people and encourage growth and innovation,” Carter said in a statement.
This comes a week after Biden was heard saying that he will veto any Republican bills sent to his desk, specifically “The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act.”
“If I’m not mistaken, what they’ve introduced — it also would totally eliminate the IRS,” the president rambled into the microphone. “It feels good, except it’s all going to be sales tax. Go home and tell your moms. They’re going to be really excited about that.”
“If any of those bills make it to my desk, I will veto them. I will flat veto them,” he added.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed the said measure in a 221-210 vote. The bill, which is sponsored by GOP Reps. Adrian Smith of Nebraska and Michelle Steel of California, would rescind all funds to the IRS to prevent the hiring of tens of thousands of new agents to audit Americans.
The bill will now go to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it has little chance of progress amid opposition from the Biden administration.
