Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) released the following statement after voting on the GOP’s “wealthy-first, working class-last” bill, H.R. 23:

“Americans deserve a government that works for them without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles or costly red tape. Yet the GOP’s first bill would cause longer lines and wait times for tax return and refund processing. The IRS needs new employees and modern technology to answer your phone calls, process your paperwork and process your tax returns in a timely matter. Republicans seek to benefit the wealthy and well-connected while leaving wage workers to foot the bill for tax cheats who aren’t paying their fair share.

“The IRS skilled audit staff is 2,284 smaller than in 1954. And while only a tiny fraction of millionaires is audited and large multinational corporations hire teams of lawyers to easily overwhelm the resources of the IRS, everyday Americans face delays and red tape.

“Just last week, my casework team was able to secure an $1,062 IRS tax refund for a constituent who said they’d called the agency 50 times to no avail. Unfortunately, many Tampa Bay neighbors suffer long waits when contacting the IRS. The GOP bill would make it worse. Plus, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this bill would increase the deficit by over $100 billion.

“It is disappointing – and telling – that House Republicans passed this bill as their first major act. The rich and well-connected win again.”

Constituents of Florida’s 14^th Congressional District can call my team at 813-871-2817 for help with the IRS or any other federal matter. You can check out the new district boundaries here.