Ander Crenshaw Wants IRS Reform, FairTax and Obamacare Repeal for Tax Day

With tax day looming on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., the chairman of House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, called for more IRS accountability, repealing President Barack Obamas federal health-care law and implantation of the FairTax.

Crenshaw released the following statement on Monday:

Americans know best how to spend their own money, not Washington. Thats why my fight to keep more hard-earned dollars in their wallets and bank accounts continues. Holding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accountable for its use of taxpayer dollars; replacing our outdated tax code with a fairer, simpler tax system like the FairTax; and defunding, repealing and replacing Obamacare are three steps I stand behind to help taxpayers.

With recent revelations that the IRS targeted groups based on political belief, spent outrageous amounts of hard-earned taxpayer dollars on lavish conferences and videos, this agency has got to clean up its act. Thats why I told IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on April 7 I was troubled by his request for a 10 percent ($1.2 billion) budget increase for fiscal year 2015. My subcommittee spent the better part of last year fighting for accountability from the IRS.

We said no to giving it more money to implement the nations new health-care law in fiscal year 2014. That step, in addition to expressly prohibiting the IRS from using taxpayer dollars to target taxpayers and saying no to any more lavish spending on conferences and video production, is called accountability. Weve got a ways to go until final approval of the IRS budget request, but I think its fair to say the final budget wont resemble their initial request.

Americans spend $265 billion and use 6.1 billion hours every year filing tax forms money that could be better spent investing in a new business, buying a home, or saving for college. Implementing FairTax legislation would simplify the current code, replacing it with one transparent national sales tax on goods and services.

I pushed Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan to include a recommendation in his budget bill that Congress take up the FairTax, and we are closer to that goal. With my support, the House passed the Ryan Budget last week -- legislation that states the Congress should consider FairTax legislation and other meaningful comprehensive tax reforms that Americans need and deserve. Moving forward, Ill be keeping the pressure on to turn the FairTax into law.

"And, there is no more glaring example of damaging tax hikes -- 20 new or higher taxes on American families and small businesses -- than Obamacare. My record against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is crystal clear: On Nov. 7, 2009, I voted against the bill and for the patient-centered health care of the Republican alternative. In more than 50 votes since, I have taken action to defund, repeal, and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and will continue to fight for health care that helps Americans, without raising their taxes.