Americans worried by recent revelations of Internal Revenue Service abuses have even more to fear when the federal government launches Obama Care on October 1. The potent agency will assume the role of chief enforcer for the president's health care mandate.
Surly IRS agents will have blanket power to snoop into Americans' medical records, impose hefty fines and penalties, award tax credits, collect taxes and distribute millions of dollars to people who require subsidies to pay for health coverage.
When Democrats designed and passed into law Obama Care, they handed over extraordinary control to the embattled IRS to strong arm citizens into acquiring health care coverage under the threat of monetary penalties.
In light of IRS scandals making daily headlines, Americans need to worry about the unprecedented opportunities for the arbitrary abuse of power. Texas Senator John Cornyn isn't waiting for the inevitable corruption likely to accompany enactment of the law.
The senator has introduced a bill, entitled "Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013," which would prevent the Secretary of Treasury or any agent, including the IRS, from enforcing Obama Care. The legislation deserves bi-partisan support and passage before the October 1 deadline.
Meanwhile, the IRS is building an evil empire. The agency has been hiring staff faster than Congress can keep track of the bodies. The IRS already has 700 employees working full time on Obama Care. Even that cadre of agents is not enough. The agency wants another 1,954 employees.
At the end of 2012, the agency had one of the largest payrolls in the federal government with 97,717 employees.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates the IRS will spend $881 million of taxpayer's money to implement the law. However, former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman begged Congress last year for another $13.1 billion for next year. No decision has been made on the additional funding.
Spending might be the least concern for Americans.
Leading the IRS enforcement effort will be Sarah Hall Ingram. If her name sounds familiar, it should. Ms. Ingram once served as commissioner of the IRS organization charged with overseeing tax exempt organizations. During her tenure, conservative groups were targeted for harassment.
Imagine Ms. Ingram at the head of a policing organization with the power to selectively levy penalties against groups and individuals. That should have a chilling effect on every American, Republican or Democrat.
It should be clear the IRS cannot be trusted to have any role in Obama Care. The agency should be stripped of its broad current powers, instead of being given new authority to extend its reach into medical care for Americans.
Democrats are sure to balk at any move to eviscerate the agency. But Americans have the right and the duty to send elected officials a strong message that they will not tolerate the IRS' heavy handed role in their lives any longer.
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