Tuberville Joins 45 Colleagues to Introduce "Don't Weaponize the IRS' Act

Press Release

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Thursday cosponsored the Don't Weaponize the IRS Act, a bill introduced by Senate Republican Leader McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Mike Braun (R-ID) to prevent the IRS from being used as a political weapon against non-profit conservative groups.

House Democrats' H.R. 1 -- the "For the People Act" -- and Senate companion legislation S. 1 seek to repeal and undermine the Trump rule to weaponize the IRS to target nonprofit organizations based on the applicants' political and policy positions.

From 2010 to 2012, the Obama IRS spent over two years systematically targeting conservative tax-exempt groups. The Trump administration released a final rule in May 2020 that prevented the IRS from targeting certain tax-exempt groups based on their political beliefs.

"S.1 is a partisan power grab that would redesign our nation's electoral system to operate how Democrats think it should work," said Senator Tuberville. "Included in this bill is a repeal of the Trump Administration's rule to ensure conservative nonprofits are not blocked from receiving tax-exempt status by the IRS. We have seen the political bias of the IRS target conservative groups, which spurred the original action from the Trump Administration. To go backward and allow the IRS to once again engage in blatant discrimination and violate free speech rights is an assault on the First Amendment. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in defense of this fundamental right."

In addition to Senators Tuberville, McConnell, and Braun, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Mike Crapo, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Shelley Moore Capito, Mike Lee, Cynthia Lummis, Thom Tillis, Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, Mike Rounds, Marsha Blackburn, Richard Shelby, John Cornyn, Roger Marshall, John Barrasso, Josh Hawley, Steve Daines, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, Jim Risch, Pat Toomey, Kevin Cramer, Joni Ernst, James Lankford, Jerry Moran, James Inhofe, Roger Wicker, John Thune, Todd Young, Chuck Grassley, Roy Blunt, Ben Sasse, Bill Hagerty, John Boozman, Deb Fischer, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, John Hoeven, and John Kennedy.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans' Affairs, and HELP Committees.

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