Inflation Reduction Act cuts lead to understaffing of IRS

President of the National Treasury Employees Union, Doreen Greenwald, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about funding of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and potential cuts to the agency. She also discussed adequately funding the government through the IRS and why the government is dealing with a workforce deficit.

Greenwald discussed her transition over the past eight months after becoming NTEU President. She then addressed several issues with the government’s funding of the IRS, and how she has been helping to find a solution. Greenwald talked about the history of the IRS and the way it utilized Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to help improve staffing levels. The recent agreement by Congress to raise the debt ceiling reduced a potential funding cut for the IRS from $80 billion to roughly $20 billion. However, the loss of $20 billion in IRA funding still creates questions pertaining to staffing and hiring levels.

The NTEU has always pushed for the proper funding of the IRS, and Greenwald explained the important role the agency plays in funding the government. With a divided Congress that struggles to pass legislation, including funding bills, she is concerned that future funding bills will hamper the IRS’s ability to remain adequately staffed. Greenwald talked about the recently passed funding bill and how President Joe Biden helped to ensure the agency would not suffer from additional downsizing.

She then compared the wages and benefits federal employees receive compared to the private sector. Greenwald said that while the federal government is hiring, it is losing potential employees to the private sector due to lower wages and poorer benefits. She addressed efforts by the NTEU to fight against those issues and how improving wages and benefits will attract the best and brightest into the government’s workforce.

Listen to the episode above to hear more from Greenwald on the work being done to help members of the NTEU.