CNN’s chief business correspondent accused Republicans of undermining public good because they budgeted $60 billion for the IRS instead of $80 billion. However, she ignored the fact that the IRS has a history of targeting conservative groups and that the $20 billion reduction could be a savings.
Christine Romans complained about the budget cut to the IRS but failed to mention the IRS’s past targeting of conservative organizations. She also acknowledged that the IRS could still modernize and enforce taxes without the additional $20 million.
During a 2016 congressional hearing, then-IRS Commissioner John Koskinen admitted that the IRS had deliberately targeted conservative groups. Romans implied that Republicans were not serious about debt and deficits because they wanted to allocate $60 billion to the IRS instead of $80 billion.
Overall, CNN painted a one-sided picture by ignoring Republicans’ legitimate concerns about the IRS’s history and its potential misuse of funds. The budget cut could be viewed as an essential savings avoiding further abuse by the IRS.
