This marks the first bill passed by the GOP-controlled House this Congress.

The bill, which is unlikely to see action in the Democratic-controlled Senate, passed in a party-line 221-210 vote on Monday evening.

A boost of about $80 billion in IRS funding over a decade generally aimed at upping high-income enforcement was included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ sweeping tax, health and climate bill.

The Republican bill, formally titled the “Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act,” directs any “unobligated balances of amounts appropriated or otherwise made available” to the IRS from the Inflation Reduction Act to be rescinded.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated Monday that the legislation would eliminate about $71 billion of the total $80 billion that was allocated for the IRS but would reduce tax revenue by about $186 billion, translating to a $114 billion increase in deficits over the next decade.

Republicans have repeatedly falsely claimed the 87,000 new IRS employees, who would be added over the course of a decade, would be “agents.”

The 87,000 figure comes from a May 2021 Treasury Department compliance report estimating new hires over a decade with the $80 billion funding boost. But only a small portion of the department’s current employees are agents, and the department has said the figure accounts for other workers such as customer service representatives and computer scientists as well as replacements for the 52,000 employees expected to retire or resign within the next six years.

IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in an August letter to members of the Senate that the funds from the legislation would be used to up examination of large corporations and high-net-worth individuals and were not designed to raise enforcement for households making less than $400,000.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also said that the agency would not increase audit rates for those taxpayers making less than $400,000.

Republicans, however, argued that the directives did not prohibit increased enforcement activities directed at middle- and low-income taxpayers, and pointed to a CBO analysis that said the funding boost would mean audit rates “rise for all taxpayers.” They also criticized the legislation for not allocating a larger portion to taxpayer services.

Representative Nick Langworthy voted for the bill, saying in a statement, “The problems facing the people of Western New York and the Southern Tier require a sense of urgency and that’s what they deserve from their representatives. I made a promise to protect taxpayers from an overzealous, politicized IRS and I delivered. The American people entrusted us with the Majority and it’s time we produce results. We are just getting started.”

The bill stand little chance in the Senate, and the White House said in a statement on Monday that President Biden would veto it if it came to his desk.

Housing Court

Director of Development Crystal Surdyk told the City Council Housing Committee that Judge George Panebianco will be hearing 15 cases a week, which is up five cases a week from last year.

Council member Marie Carrubba said while the regular evictions for public health and safety issues have not stopped, the eviction moratorium for tenants who were unable to pay rent due to financial hardships caused by the Pandemic is ending Saturday, January 15.

Governor Kathy Hochul said in a briefing Tuesday that the eviction moratorium will likely expire Saturday as planned without intervention from her office or the State Legislature.

She added she is asking the federal government for more rent relief to aid landlords and tenants ahead of the likely expiration of the moratorium.

The New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance announced it has reopened its Emergency Rental Assistance Program even though officials said it needs additional funding to support the backlog of existing and future applications.

Hochul said New York State only received $27 million of the $1 billion it sought from the Federal government.

New York will be joining other states in sending a joint letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to request additional federal funding.