Friday, February 21

The United States Internal Revenue Service has cut over 6,000 jobs amid Trump's crackdown on government spending, and the layoffs are occurring in the middle of tax-filing season.

The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, is a crucial organization that collects federal taxes from the entire American population. They also work on the implementation of benefit programs like the Affordable Care Act. The agency was created in 1862 and became more prominent after the passing of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which put income tax into the Constitution, and it operates under the Department of the Treasury. The IRS employs around 100,000 people across the country, making it a major provider of jobs to accountants, lawyers, and people in other professions.

Meanwhile, Trump has been pushing forward with his spending cuts for the United States government with the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE is led by billionaire Elon Musk, who has been taking significant action in recent weeks. For example, he recently shut down the USAID program and eliminated the government's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, both of which were met with mixed reactions.

Now, in Trump's latest move, he has announced that the government will be laying off over 6,700 IRS employees, which is over 6% of the agency's workforce. The move primarily works as a counter to actions taken by former President Joe Biden, who invested money into expanding the IRS during his term. Between 2021 and 2024, the Biden administration hired over 20,000 new employees for the IRS, aiming to bolster enforcement on wealthier taxpayers. However, Republicans opposed this idea, claiming that it would become a pain for many Americans, and they have now taken action against it.

The layoffs of thousands of IRS employees may also have a substantial impact on tax-filing season, which is the busiest time of the year for the IRS. Over 140 million tax returns are expected to be filed by the deadline, which is April 15, and February is the busiest month for the IRS call center. The agency has been long known for being short-staffed, and tax filing is already a significant pain for many people who have to spend hours on the phone or send and resend mail-- and the latest layoffs could make tax processing even slower.

Trump has maintained that the layoffs will mostly affect newer employees with less experience, but they will be spread out across all 50 states. The IRS, though, has confirmed that they will keep some employees that are absolutely necessary for tax-filing season, meaning that not all of the layoffs would occur immediately.

However, it is still seen as a big win for Trump and his administration, who have been working towards lowering government expenses in an attempt to reduce the country's massive debt. They have set a goal to decrease spending by at least $1 trillion, though, which will be tough.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The novel Gadsby, written by Ernest Vincent Wright in 1939, is a lipogram, which is written without a certain letter or letters. Gadsby, which is over 50,000 words, does not contain the letter "e" at all.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. (William Arthur Ward)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Flounder (verb, FLOUN-der) - To flounder is to struggle, whether that struggle is about moving or obtaining footing (as in “horses floundering through deep snow”) or about knowing what to do or say.

In a Sentence: Caught off-guard by the reporter’s question, the mayor floundered for a few moments before remembering the talking points he had rehearsed.