WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) -- The House of Representatives on Thursday passed two bills to improve oversight of the Internal Revenue Service, a move some Democrats said was unnecessary, while other lawmakers noted the need to improve customer service and conduct.
The legislation was among a number of bills passed by the House regarding the IRS after Monday's deadline for tax filing.
One, passed by a 345-78 vote, prevents the IRS from rehiring former employees previously fired for misconduct. It was supported by 241 Republicans in the wake of a 2013 Treasury Inspector General's report which indicated the IRS rehired thousands of former employees with past performance or conduct issues.
Some Democrats who voted in favor of the legislation by 104 to 78, countered that a more significant issue for Republicans to address is the practice on inversion, in which U.S. companies move their headquarters overseas for lower tax rates.
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The second bill, preventing the IRS from paying employee bonuses until a strategy is implemented to improve customer service, passed by 260-158. Republicans voted in favor of the bill by 238 to zero; 10 Democrats voted in favor, and 158 opposed the bill.
Republicans noted interactions between IRS representatives and taxpayers with questions, particularly by telephone, has been lacking. They cite a 2015 Government Accountability Office report noting 38 percent of callers seeking live IRS assistance received it with an average wait time of 30 minutes.
Democrats responded that the IRS is underfunded, at $900 million below its 2010 level.
Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee responsible for taxation, said, "Look, the reason the phones aren't being answered is because the Republican majority has failed to answer to its responsibilities. The House Republicans are trying to pass the buck because they're not providing the bucks necessary for adequate taxpayer services."
The Obama administration considers both bills unnecessary but has not threatened to veto either.
