Tags: shotguns | submachine | ammunition
OPINION

Ernst's Plan for IRS Disarming

irs enforcement
(Mykhailo Polenok/Dreamstime.com)

Michael Dorstewitz By Friday, 23 June 2023 03:56 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst unveiled legislation last week that would prevent the federal government from providing arms and ammunition to IRS agents.

Her bill would give the IRS 120 days to transfer all firearms and ammunition within its possession to the General Services Administration (GSA), and bar the federal revenue agency from purchasing guns and ammo in the future.

"The taxman is fully loaded at the expense of the taxpayer," Ernst said in a press release.

"As the Biden administration has worked to expand the size of the IRS, any further weaponization of this federal agency against hardworking Americans and small businesses is a grave concern.

"I’m working to disarm the IRS and return these dollars to address reckless spending in Washington."

If approved and signed into law, Ernst’s bill would:

  • Prohibit the IRS from buying, receiving, or storing guns and ammo,
  • Transfer all guns and ammo currently in the IRS’s possession to the General Services Administration,
  • Auction off these guns and ammo to Federal Firearms License owners and devote proceeds to deficit reduction, and
  • Relocate the IRS Criminal Investigation Division within the Justice Department.

"Anyone with an ounce of commonsense knows that IRS agents shouldn't be playing SWAT team dress-up on the taxpayer's dime," Ernst told Newsmax. "My effort disarms the IRS and auctions off their $35 million worth of guns and ammo, devoting the proceeds to paying down our national debt."

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) applauded Ernst’s efforts and her bill, which is titled the "Why Does the IRS Have Guns Act."

That’s really a very good question," said CCRKBA founder and Chairman Alan Gottlieb in a press release.

"Why has the IRS spent millions of dollars on weapons and ammunition since the start of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago?" he asked.

The bill also attracted the attention of Adam Andrzejewski, founder and CEO of Open the Books, an Illinois-based government watchdog, and to that end pushes for transparency in Washington.

He had questions similar to Gottlieb’s.

"The IRS isn't going to war, so just who are they preparing to battle?" asked Andrzejewski.

"Our OpenTheBooks auditors found the IRS spent millions of tax dollars on AR-15-style rifles, semi-automatic shotguns, and even purchased submachine guns while stockpiling 5 million rounds of ammunition in their gun locker," he said.

"The IRS special agent is starting to look less like a desk worker or rule maker and more like a SWAT team from a Hollywood thriller. It's the blurring of the lines between a tax agency and traditional law enforcement," Andrzejewski concluded

According to a March 31 Open the Books report, the IRS spent $35.2 million on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment since 2006 (adjusted for inflation at the consumer level). 2020 and 2021 were the agency’s peak years for purchasing weapons, ammunition and gear.

There are currently nearly 2,100 IRS special agents. To that number, the IRS chief testified that they are adding 600 new positions (20,000 new hires with 3% ratio of special agents). Based on headcount, the IRS ranks in the equivalent of the top 50 largest of 12,261 police departments across the country.

In August 2022, Ford Fischer, editor-in-chief at News2Share, reported that "The IRS is hiring new special agents!" Then he listed the requirements, one of which should cause concern: "Carry a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary."

The IRS added that special agents "will combine accounting skills with law enforcement skills to investigate financial crimes."

Despite the backlash that the "help wanted" ad prompted, the IRS still has it posted — they’re still looking for armed Special Agents, which is the problem Ernst wants to correct.

Reports from two IRS whistleblowers this week demonstrate that it’s not just the literal weaponization of the IRS that needs addressing — it’s also the figurative weaponization of all agencies, especially the Justice Department and its two-tiered legal system.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., revealed Thursday the "unequal enforcement of tax law, interference, and government abuse in the handling of investigations into criminal activity by President [Joe] Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and retaliation against IRS employees blowing the whistle on this abuse."

He added that the Justice Department used tactics to delay the investigation "long enough to reach the statute of limitations" and that they "divulged sensitive actions by the investigative team" to Hunter Biden's attorneys, according to the whistleblowers.

Intimidation of citizens has no place in a free society, with or without weapons.

"When governments fear the people, there is liberty," reads a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson. "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

Ernst’s proposal to disarm the IRS is great beginning, and should be followed up with fixing our broken justice system.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


MichaelDorstewitz
Her bill would give the IRS 120 days to transfer all firearms and ammunition within its possession to the General Services Administration (GSA), and bar the federal revenue agency from purchasing guns and ammo in the future.
shotguns, submachine, ammunition
831
2023-56-23
Friday, 23 June 2023 03:56 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
Newsmax2 Live
 
On Now:12:00a ET • The Leventhal Report
Coming Up:1:00a ET • David Harris Jr. The Pulse
Get Newsmax Text Alerts

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
MONEYNEWS.COM
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
MONEYNEWS.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved