U.S. Representative Barry Moore Introduces ‘Why Does the IRS Need Guns’ Act

U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-AL) has introduced new legislation that would strip the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of its firearms and ammunition stockpiles. The Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act, seeks to curb what Moore and several Republican lawmakers describe as a growing militarization of the agency.

According to a 2023 report by Open the Books, a government spending watchdog, the IRS has spent over $10 million on “weapons, ammunition, and military-style gear” since 2020.

The proposed legislation is co-sponsored by Representatives Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Mary Miller (R-IL), and Clay Higgins (R-LA).

The bill includes several key provisions:

- It prohibits the IRS from acquiring or storing firearms and ammunition.

- It directs the transfer of existing IRS-controlled weapons and ammo to the General Services Administration (GSA).

- It instructs the GSA to sell the firearms to licensed dealers and make ammunition available to the general public.

- It transfers the IRS Criminal Investigations Division to the Department of Justice.

Moore criticized the agency’s stockpiling of weapons, saying the IRS has been “weaponized against American citizens.” Citing a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, Moore stated that the agency has spent more than $10 million on firearms, ammunition, and tactical gear since 2020.

"The IRS has consistently been weaponized against American citizens, targeted religious organizations, journalists, gun owners, and everyday Americans," said Moore. "Arming these agents does not make the American public safer. My legislation, the Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act, would disarm these agents, auction off their guns to Federal Firearms License Owners, and sell their ammunition to the public. The only thing IRS agents should be armed with are calculators."

Rep. Hageman echoed Moore’s concerns, referencing ongoing investigations into the federal government’s alleged misuse of power.

“It is a shocking fact that the Biden administration spent over $10 million on firearms and ammunitions for IRS employees,” Hageman said. “The Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act will ensure the agency sticks to its mission of collecting revenue rather than moonlighting as a paramilitary law enforcement agency susceptible to politicization.”

Rep. Mary Miller criticized the IRS’s expanding enforcement capacity, calling it a misuse of taxpayer dollars.

“There is absolutely zero justification for wasting taxpayer dollars to arm a federal agency that was never meant to act as an enforcement arm of the government,” she said. “The IRS doesn't need a stockpile of guns and ammunition — it needs proper transparency, oversight, and accountability.”

Rep. Clay Higgins added that the IRS’s increased armament poses a risk to civil liberties.

“IRS agents should not hit homes and businesses like SWAT teams,” Higgins said. “This legislation disarms the IRS.”

The bill comes amid broader Republican concerns about what they describe as the politicization of federal agencies. The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government has raised questions in recent months about the IRS’s conduct, particularly regarding investigations into religious groups, journalists, and political organizations.

The IRS has defended its practices, stating that its Criminal Investigation agents are specially trained and operate similarly to other federal law enforcement bodies. The agency has not publicly commented on the proposed legislation as of this writing.

The Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act is expected to face stiff opposition from Democratic lawmakers in both House and Senate.