The IRS has been in the news a lot these past few months, and not only because tax season just passed. First, accusations surfaced that the organization had been targeting conservative groups. Now, the IRS is being called out for handing out $70 million dollars in union bonuses, despite being directed to do otherwise by the Obama administration.
According to a report from Talking Points Memo, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) learned of the bonuses and issued the following statement:
“The IRS always claims to be short on resources,” Grassley said. “But it appears to have $70 million for union bonuses. And it appears to be making an extra effort to give the bonuses despite opportunities to renegotiate with the union and federal instruction to cease discretionary bonuses during sequestration.”
According to the report, the IRS had to undergo cuts due to sequestration, requiring them to include five shutdown days in their calendar. Despite the fact that IRS employees will not get paid for these five days, union bonuses do not fall under the umbrella of necessary budget cuts.