House GOP bill aims at hiring more border agents with funds redirected from IRS
Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican from New York, has taken a bold step in introducing a new bill that aims to reallocate funding from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to bolster the ranks of Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. The legislation, known as the “Diverting IRS Resources to the Exigent Crisis Today Act” or the “DIRECT Act,” seeks to repurpose unused funds within the IRS and redirect them to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Under the provisions of the bill, any unobligated balances earmarked for enforcement activities within the IRS would be redirected to the CBP to cover the salaries and expenses of new agents and officers deployed to enhance security along the southern border of the United States. Rep. Tenney is reintroducing this bill to the newly sworn-in 119th Congress, highlighting the urgency of addressing the ongoing crisis at the border.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Rep. Tenney emphasized the need to prioritize border security amidst the influx of over 10 million illegal immigrants into the country under the Biden-Harris administration. She criticized the administration for deploying IRS resources to target middle-class families instead of supporting CBP agents. The DIRECT Act aims to halt the IRS’s audits on middle-class families and redirect those funds towards hiring additional CBP agents to fortify the southern border.
As the nation transitions to a new administration, Rep. Tenney underscored the importance of equipping CBP agents with the necessary resources to secure the borders and facilitate the deportation of illegal immigrants in alignment with the agenda set forth by former President Trump and Border Czar Homan.
The bill’s introduction comes in the wake of Congress passing the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which allocated significant funding to the IRS for the hiring of additional enforcement agents. This move was met with opposition from Republicans, including Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who criticized the IRS for targeting hard-working Americans.
In a related development, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aimed at streamlining federal operations and slashing unnecessary programs and regulations. Additionally, Trump announced plans to establish the External Revenue Service to collect tariffs and other dues owed to the U.S. by foreign entities.
Incoming border czar Tom Homan, a fellow New Yorker like Rep. Tenney, has been tasked with overseeing the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants and drug traffickers as part of Trump’s stringent immigration policies. Rep. Tenney, known for her role in the House Election Integrity Caucus, has also reintroduced a bill targeting states that grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
These legislative initiatives underscore the ongoing efforts to bolster border security and address immigration challenges while streamlining government operations and fiscal responsibilities. Rep. Tenney’s proactive approach to redirecting resources towards border protection reflects a commitment to upholding national security and law enforcement priorities.
