Garland Can't Get Hearing; IRS Head Gets Boot

The House Judiciary Committee has decided to go ahead with hearings that will most probably lead to a vote for the impeachment of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. The dispute originated over the alleged targeting of Republican and conservative groups in the Internal Revenue Service’s Exempt Organizations Unit back in 2013. A two year investigation by the Department of Justice ended last year with no charges being filed. Although Mr. Koskinen was not directly related to the alleged targeting, Republicans have accused him of a cover-up because some the emails requested by House investigators turned out to be unrecoverable. It is another break with history for House Republicans – the last agency commissioner to be impeached was all the way back in 1876 when the Secretary of War was removed for corruption.

As I’ve mentioned before, our annual budget deficit could possible erased if the IRS was able to collect all the money it is due.  But the constant underfunding of the IRS has made it difficult for the agency to do its job, which, in the world of the House Republicans, means that its budget gets slashed again because they are not doing their job.

Yes, we all know the IRS makes an easy and inviting target. And maybe I’m underestimating the intelligence of the American voter and their knowledge of the different roles of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. But I think it would once again make voters question Republicans’ priorities when a Judiciary Committee is spending time impeaching an IRS commissioner over an issue where no criminal conduct has been found while the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court is unable to even get a hearing. But maybe Republicans know better – their last attempt at impeachment worked out so well for them, didn’t it.