House Republicans Push to Disarm the IRS, Citing Concerns Over Weaponization

As millions of Americans rushed to file their taxes on the annual Tax Day deadline, a group of House Republicans marked the occasion by introducing a groundbreaking new proposal:stripping the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of guns and ammunition.

The “Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act” would strip the federal tax agency of its stockpiles of firearms and ammunition, redirecting any funds currently used for weapons procurement to more appropriate functions. The measure would ban the IRS from purchasing, storing, or using firearms and ammo, instead requiring all existing assets to be transferred to the General Services Administration for auction. Proceeds from the auctions would be funneled into the general fund of the U.S. Treasury for the specific purpose of deficit reduction.

“The only thing IRS agents should be armed with are calculators,” said Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), who introduced the bill. “The IRS has consistently been weaponized against American citizens — targeting religious organizations, journalists, gun owners, and everyday Americans. Arming these agents does not make the American public safer.”

The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Mary Miller (R-IL), and Clay Higgins (R-LA). It also proposes transferring the IRS Criminal Investigation Division — currently responsible for investigating tax fraud, money laundering, and other financial crimes — to the Department of Justice, where it would operate as a separate entity within the DOJ’s Criminal Division.

The IRS, which lists its mission as ensuring compliance with tax laws “with integrity and fairness,” maintains a specialized team of armed agents within its Criminal Investigation Division. However, critics say the agency has accumulated an alarming cache of weapons and has drifted far beyond its original purpose.

According to government oversight reports, the IRS has spent millions in recent years on firearms, ammunition, and tactical gear — a fact that has raised eyebrows among conservatives, especially as scrutiny of federal agencies has intensified.

The move aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration and allies in Congress to curtail the power and scope of the federal bureaucracy. It also follows calls by President Donald Trump to eventually replace the income tax with tariffs, an idea that continues to gain traction.

Supporters of the bill argue that the IRS has no legitimate reason to maintain a militarized unit when the U.S. already has numerous law enforcement agencies better equipped to handle dangerous criminal investigations. “If crimes are being committed, that’s what the FBI is for,” one Republican aide said. “The IRS should be collecting tax forms, not raiding homes.”

Critics of the bill argue that disarming the IRS could weaken its ability to enforce tax law against serious offenders, including white-collar criminals and drug cartels, pointing to major busts in financial crimes where IRS agents played a critical role in prosecution.

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