The National Treasury Employees Union’s (NTEU) endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for President has ignited a firestorm of controversy.
Fox News reported that the union's endorsement, which credits Harris for championing a budget increase for the IRS, has generated significant backlash online as critics express alarm over potential tax implications.
The NTEU, representing numerous federal agents including IRS personnel, released a statement this week endorsing Kamala Harris. The union lauded her efforts in securing a significant budget increase for the IRS through the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Act, endorsed by the Biden-Harris administration, infused the IRS with an additional $80 billion over the next decade. This funding aims to facilitate the hiring of 87,000 new agents, a move the NTEU supports.
NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald pointed to Harris's respect for federal employees and her dedication to ensuring that the government serves all American citizens.
"When it comes to treating federal employees with respect, valuing their service, and investing in their work, Kamala Harris is the clear choice," she said. "She shares our values and our commitment to making sure that the federal government works for all Americans."
The announcement, however, did not sit well with some commentators and social media users.
Conservative commentator Joey Mannarino expressed his disapproval on the platform X (formerly Twitter). "The IRS Agents Union just endorsed Kamala Harris. That should tell you all what her plans are for us. Get ready to be taxed to death. VOTE TRUMP!" he tweeted.
The proposal for the 2025 budget under the Biden-Harris administration includes an additional $104 billion for the IRS, eight times the agency’s annual budget. Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz highlighted this in his critique, questioning the rationale behind such a substantial increase. "What is going on here?" he pondered.
The reaction on social media continued to steamroll. Greg Price commented, "If the IRS, the FBI, Wall Street, Iran, Putin, the military industrial complex, the New York Times, Iran, 100 former McCain interns, and Dick Cheney all want one candidate to win then, for the love of God, vote for the other one."
Critics fear that the massive budget increases signify potential tax hikes. "The fact that the IRS is unionized is horrific, let alone that Kamala Harris thinks their endorsement is a good thing," remarked a user known as Comfortably Smug.
Other platforms echoed similar sentiments. "All the worst people in the world are endorsing Kamala. Weird," asserted "Being Libertarian." Comments ranged from sarcasm to deep skepticism about Harris's intentions.
The endorsement drew disrespectful and critical comments, with "The Redheaded Libertarian" sarcastically asking, "Was Satan not available?" Compounding the criticism, popular influencers The Hodge Twins responded with a series of red flag emojis, stating, "IRS agents endorsed Kamala."
The endorsement has brought heightened scrutiny to Harris and her fiscal policies.
Observers are particularly concerned about the Biden-Harris administration's intent to allocate significantly more resources to the IRS, beyond the already substantial increase from recent legislation.
NTEU's approval of Harris for her fiscal policies indicates ongoing support for further IRS investment, though to the chagrin of those wary of increased government spending and potential tax rises.
Although the endorsement aims to highlight Harris's commitment to federal employees and effective governance, the specific focus on new IRS funding has amplified fears of widespread tax hikes, contributing to the mounting political tension.
