Senator John Houston to the subcommittee who's recently joined the committee after the confirmation of our former colleague Secretary Mullen. And I'd like to congratulate Senator Fischer, a member of this committee who's acquired now the gavel of the legislative branch subcommittee. Congratulations to you, Deb.
Secretary Scott Bessent is here with us today to review the Department of the Treasury's fiscal year 2027 budget request. Welcome back, Secretary Bessent. I thank you for being here. The department's request for fiscal year 2027 proposes an 11.7% or 1.5 billion from the amount provided in the prior fiscal year. This request appropriately acknowledges that resources are limited and it makes deliberate trade-offs among competing priorities to advance this administration's pro-growth, pro-competition economic agenda. This budget request also reflects a thoughtful effort to balance responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources while continuing to strengthen America's economic and financial leadership. And I appreciate the effort to strike this delicate balance. This budget request proposes solutions to difficult questions that too often some of our predecessors have preferred to avoid. Rather than responding to constraints by simply requesting additional funding, this proposal reflects a focus on improving efficiency and making targeted decisions about where resources can have the greatest impact. Mr. Secretary, I appreciate your leadership and your ability to make tough decisions that save taxpayers money and shape a leaner, more efficient government without compromising the department's core mission. That's an important goal and one I think most members share. As the department works with these resource constraints, it will be important for Congress to understand how Treasury is prioritizing its activities, where efficiencies are being realized, and how performance outcomes are being measured. That understanding will help ensure that this subcommittee aligns resources with the areas of greatest need and greatest impact. This budget request also reflects the consequential legislation Congress passed and the president signed into law last year, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which was an incredible victory for all hardworking Americans. Recent IRS data shows that tax refunds this year are substantially higher than years prior, putting more money back into the pockets of hardworking Americans. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also made adjustments to how certain income is treated, including relief on items like tips and overtime, as well as expanded deductions for seniors and working families. These changes require Treasury and the IRS to create new guidance to update systems and to ensure that taxpayers can easily comply with these most welcome changes. In that vein, I was pleased to see that this budget request does not focus on maintaining the status quo. Rather, it addresses the department's responsibility to implement these major policy reforms, and it ensures that Treasury has the tools needed to carry them out efficiently.
Beyond tax administration, this budget also reflects a broader effort to strengthen America's economic position globally. For far too long, unequal, non-reciprocal trade policies have handicapped American businesses, leading to persistent trade deficit and the erosion of our domestic industrial base. Decades of asymmetric policies have also undermined our nation's capacity to produce critical goods like ships and pharmaceuticals, and it's made us increasingly dependent on competitors like China. This administration has taken great strides in resetting the global trade market by negotiating a multitude of international trade agreements and continuing to push an American first agenda. Digital assets and their related technologies present new opportunities for economic growth, for capital formation, and for value storage. Properly deployed, these digital technologies will facilitate safe, secure, and instantaneous payments. America must be the global leader in this sector if we want to retain our position as the world's reserve currency. Our nation has demonstrated that it can lead innovation across any industry when it's provided with the regulatory certainty that's necessary to grow and to invest. That's why last year, President Trump signed into law my stablecoin legislation, the Genius Act, which provided regulatory clarity to help the US remain a leader in digital assets and financial innovation. Your department, Mr. Secretary, played a critical role in the success of this legislation, particularly Luke Pettit and Tyler Williams on the development, joined by Jonathan Greenstein on the implementation. President Trump understands the crucial role that this industry will play in our nation's economic development and international leadership. The president has asked Congress to provide clarity through technology neutral regulations and transparent government decision-making to foster a robust and vibrant digital economy. I'm encouraged by the efforts underway at the Department of Treasury to carry out this objective and I'm grateful for your support for sensible stablecoin policy as we seek to promote US leadership in digital assets and financial technology while protecting the economic liberty of Americans. Our nation also benefits from constructive relationships with our allies. This subcommittee is grateful for your daily work negotiating tariffs that preserve our strong relationships with those allies. The other side of that coin is countering our adversaries through financial intelligence and sanctions. While Treasury's role in the intelligence community is rarely in focus, its unique capabilities help safeguard the integrity of the American financial system and ultimately strengthen America's military power. Treasury's responsibilities today extend well beyond traditional finance. I appreciate your work and look forward to continuing to partner with you to ensure that the department has the tools it needs to succeed. And I look forward to your testimony, Mr. Secretary. But before you begin your testimony, I now want to turn to my colleague, the ranking member of the subcommittee, Senator Jack Reed.
Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And Mr. Secretary, thank you for joining us today. I look forward to your testimony, which comes at a moment where the world is in a great deal of turmoil, prompted in part by the administration's fiscal policy, its illegal tariffs, and its decision to go to war with Iran. While President Trump upends the economic apple cart, Americans are paying more at the pump and for other everyday necessities. At the start of the Iran war, gas prices averaged about $2.98 per gallon. Now, Americans are forced to shell out over $4 a gallon at the pump. Inflation hit a nearly two-month high in March, while grocery and housing costs remain too high. The cost of living is simply not sustainable for the American people. Mr. Secretary, it seems that President Trump has abandoned the interest of regular Americans and your fiscal year 2027 budget request continues this worrying trend. The fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Treasury Department totals 11.5 billion, a 1.5 billion or roughly 12% decrease from the enacted level. While the request provides increases to several Treasury offices, it cuts funding for the Inspector General, grants for community development, and enforcement of our tax laws. The proposal slashes IRS funding by $1.4 billion. This is on top of the $1.1 billion cut sustained in fiscal year 2026, last year. The IRS has pushed out more than 28,000 employees since the start of the Trump administration. And this proposal would shrink the workforce by another 4,000. This is simply irresponsible. You come from the business world and no successful company would underinvest in its revenue collection mechanism. The IRS itself acknowledges that every dollar the agency invests in enforcement brings $11 back from tax cheats. So, your own agency admits that cutting IRS staff and funding, particularly its enforcement budget, costs American taxpayers and helps tax dodgers. Indeed, cutting IRS funding is a proven windfall for the rich and puts our country on a dangerous fiscal path. Yet, the IRS's budget request proposed is to cut enforcement exams on high-income individuals by 50% in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal year 2023. This will help wealthy taxpayers evade billions of dollars in taxes each year. The IRS should prioritize providing better service to American households, not help rich Americans game our tax system. Secretary Bessent, suffice it to say, the administration's policies, including the IRS budget request, are clearly putting our economy and the economic security of average Americans at risk. I look forward to your testimony and your candid answers to our questions. Once again, I thank you, Mr. Secretary, for joining us today. Thank you.
Now, I'd like to recognize Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Before becoming our 79th Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary Bessent had a successful career as a fund manager of one of the world's largest global macro investment funds before creating his own investment firm. Secretary Bessent believes America is unstoppable because its economy is unstoppable, an economy built on the deepest and most liquid markets in the world. Secretary Bessent, if you could please keep your remarks to five minutes, it'll allow more time for questions. Your full written statement will be included in the record.
Chairman Hagerty, Ranking Member Reed, and members of the subcommittee. I'm grateful to join you today. Treasury is committed to working with Congress to protect our nation's financial system, spur job growth, and strengthen the economy. The fiscal year 2027 President's budget request for Treasury demonstrates our commitment to boosting growth, promoting efficiency within our agency, and targeting illicit actors that threaten our national security. Treasury's budget request represents a 12% decrease from the enacted level while still building on the success of fiscal year 2026 to continue strengthening the US financial system. Along with managing our own discretionary budget, Treasury is charged with managing core financial functions and payment operations for the US government. I take that commitment very seriously, not only ensuring that every dollar in our budget is thoughtfully executed, but also that every dollar collected, deposited, or dispersed through Treasury is secure and timely. I would like to begin by highlighting the Treasury Department's effort to ensure accountability and deliver results for the American people. There's no better example of delivering meaningful change for everyday Americans than President Trump's working families tax cuts, of which over 60 million returns claimed at least one of President Trump's signature new tax cuts this filing season. By enacting no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and new tax cuts for seniors and Social Security, we are delivering tax relief to working families. This season, over 7 million filers have claimed no tax on tips with an average deduction of over $7,000. Over 28 million filers have claimed no tax on overtime with an average deduction of over $3,100. And over 34 million seniors have claimed enhanced deduction for seniors with an average deduction of over $7,500. The legislation not only delivered historic tax relief, but also began building long-term financial security for future generations through initiatives like Trump accounts, of which nearly 5.5 million accounts have been opened with over 1.3 million children eligible for the $1,000 pilot program contribution. Trump accounts demonstrate this administration's pledge to invest in the workforce of tomorrow, giving them an ownership stake in the success of the nation.
As you know, filing season ended on April 15th. I'm happy to report that new leadership at the IRS has resulted in improved business processes and an increased focus on meeting private industry benchmarks for customer service. Our increased focus on digital-first taxpayer experience has resulted in lower call volumes as taxpayers increasingly find the information they need online and increased adoption of direct deposit which will expedite the refunds for years to come. The budget request continues to streamline and modernize IRS operations funding to encourage automation and technology investment. While ensuring taxpayers are met where they want to be by offering multiple service options, although the request for IRS represents a modest decrease, we are still able to maintain current services and implement new initiatives aimed at improving customer experience and making tax compliance easier. We have introduced two new metrics for modernizing how IRS performance is measured. Introducing a system service rate and enterprise service completion rate better aligns performance measurement with how people interact with the IRS today. Additionally, the budget request targets inefficiency and duplicative spending through reductions in areas that have been operationally ineffective. I want to ensure that every dollar of taxpayer funding supports mission-critical work. By making targeted reductions in specific areas, we can enhance investments in national security by bolstering critical cyber capabilities, sanctions, and combating illicit financial activity. Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence is at the forefront of America's fight against foreign adversaries, and the additional funding would expand Treasury's ability to trace, detect, and sanction financial networks acting in bad faith. The request also includes a small investment to advance institutional expertise in digital assets, housing finance, and global financial markets within Treasury's departmental offices. This is particularly important with the implementation of the Genius Act, landmark legislation that created the first-ever regulatory framework for stablecoins. As I shared earlier, I'm committed to working together to continue building on the success of the last fiscal year and look forward to your questions.
Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I'd now like to turn to...
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, welcome. You mentioned just now in your testimony the importance of customer service and your efforts to improve it. Along with other members of the Maine delegation, I sent you a letter last month opposing the closures of two taxpayer assistance centers, one in Bangor, Maine, one in Augusta, Maine. The Presque Isle Center in Northern Maine has already been closed for some time. These closures mean that someone from my hometown of Caribou, Maine, who needs in-person service faces a 10-hour plus round trip to the nearest taxpayer assistance center in Portland. That's the last remaining TAC in the entire state of Maine. That's just not reasonable, particularly when you consider that Maine has the oldest population by median age in the country. We have areas of the state where internet service is simply not available. And we have older adults who even if it is available may not have access to computers or to the skills that they need to use that method of getting help. And I will also mention that I met recently with the taxpayer advocate in the state of Maine and he too expressed his concerns about what the closures of these centers would mean in terms of providing customer service. Has the IRS evaluated what the impact of closing down all of these taxpayer assistance centers except the one in southern Maine would be on people living in other parts of the state, particularly our older adults in rural areas?
Good, Senator. Thank you for your leadership on this and the entire Maine delegation. I have instructed the IRS to look into this and we will be getting back to you. Systemwide, only 10 centers were closed. I believe that one of the centers that was closed was already unmanned. But we will get back to you and we will remedy this 10-hour problem. So, thank you for bringing it to our attention. We look forward to working with you.
Thank you so much. It really is a problem given the size of our state. I want to bring up another persistent problem in the state of Maine and that is we have been the location for literally hundreds of illegal marijuana growhouses that are linked to transnational criminal organizations based in China. And we really need a whole of government approach. Earlier this year, I secured language calling for a State Department-led report on PRC-linked criminal syndicates and the illicit drug trade. Where Treasury comes in is there's money laundering involved. And I want to thank Treasury for providing some expertise through FinCEN, through the IRS, but it still remains a huge problem. And our sheriffs in Maine have been terrific in trying to close down these growhouses, but we need more federal help. We've had some from Treasury, some from the Justice Department, DEA. But we're talking about over 200 of these illegal growhouses and as I said, there is a link to money laundering and the fentanyl trade as well. Could you talk a bit about how the department is working to address this dangerous operation?
Yes, Senator, since you brought this to our attention last year, IRS criminal investigations and FinCEN are both involved in supporting local law enforcement and working with federal agencies to combat these problematic operations in Maine. Staff from these teams have, as you said, specialized financial forensic and intelligence expertise and we want to help local law enforcement dismantle these money laundering operations. So I look forward to ongoing dialogue and per your request I will personally look into what is going on, especially with IRS criminal investigations who are able to move on operations like this very quickly.
Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. That was very encouraging to see your personal engagement on this critical issue not just for Maine but for the entire nation. Senator Reed...
Mr. Chairman, do you want to go first?
I'll let you, I'll come up to you.
Thank you. Mr. Secretary, as I mentioned in my opening statement, your budget once again cuts IRS enforcement activities. Your own congressional justification states that every dollar spent on enforcement provides an $11 return for the American taxpayer. So given that your own request shows this extraordinary return on investment, why does the budget cut enforcement by nearly $900 million?
Sir, the data does not support that because we cut the budget and enforcement recoveries were up 12% last year.
Well, if you increase the budget, you would presumably have even more. I mean, the obvious point, which I stress in my testimony, is that you're basically scheduling fewer and fewer enforcement actions, particularly against those who are very well endowed and may have either directly or indirectly made mistakes on their tax returns. So, it seems to me obviously that more effort would produce more resources.
Well, I think that may be one school of thought, but we haven't seen that in educational outcomes. We haven't seen that in healthcare outcomes. That more money equals better outcomes. And at the IRS thus far, we believe in outcomes. We recovered in enforcement, the top five enforcements recovered $2 billion. And as I said, the enforcements last year are up to almost $41 billion. So I think that during the Biden years in the IRA, there was a scoring gimmick that was used and brought in a lot of enforcement officers. And again, you know the facts on the ground, to get to be a senior enforcement officer takes 10 or 12 years and to bring in the new officers at one year, two years have almost no expertise and don't result in better outcomes. What we have found is meeting the taxpayers where they are and using technology we have pushed back their tax returns and say we believe there is an error here and you will be audited. Why don't you fix it in advance?
Well, Mr. Secretary, I think it's not efficiency or even more revenue you're seeking. You're seeking, I think, to disable the ability for the federal government to reach all who are not being completely honest with their tax returns, particularly those that have the most to pay, the wealthiest in the country. As I mentioned also in my statement, sir, the gas prices are up more than 30% and they're above $4 a gallon. And the nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates that President Trump's tariffs were essentially a $1,000 tax on American households. And that's a nonpartisan organization. So, you have a situation in which also healthcare is hugely expensive for people. About 17 million Americans are seeing increases because of the big beautiful bill. Consumer sentiment is at record low. You recently claimed that in their heart of hearts consumers feel good. But that's not supported by polling that is constant and accurate. And the idea that consumer spending is up doesn't recognize I think that the top 10% of the richest families account for 50% of consumer spending. So how does all this help families solve the key price of affordability in the United States today?
Senator, I agree. After the Biden years and the 21.5% CPI level increase, Americans were reeling. I can tell you that it is my belief that when we talk about gasoline, that the crude market is currently in what is known in the energy business as very steep backwardation, which means that the future prices are much lower than we are at present. I think the conflict will end. I think gasoline prices will come back to where they were or perhaps lower as they did. President Trump has shown that he is good at getting energy prices down and that our energy dominance agenda has lowered prices.
How fast will the prices of gasoline come down?
Again, that is path dependent on when the war and the conflict end.
Well, from a perspective of the Armed Services Committee, it's not likely to end soon. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
Mr. Secretary. Again, welcome. I'd like to stay on the topic that the ranking member raised with respect to technology deployment. Your extensive business career, I'm sure you've made a number of investments over your career. And when you've made technology investments, you expect a payback, don't you?
And that payback would come for example in the form of higher service levels, wouldn't it?
That would be one of the appropriate metrics.
Greater productivity perhaps?
Greater productivity, higher customer satisfaction.
And lower cost to execute. Yes. I just think that fits in and I applaud your efforts to invest in ways that would generate a payback and I fully expect to see the type of decrease in terms of outlays over time assuming the technology is deployed effectively. So, thank you for that. Now, I'd like to turn to a topic that is obviously one that we work together very closely on. That's the Genius Act. Effective implementation of this law is vital for strengthening US leadership in digital financial technology. I want to commend the Treasury Department again for moving quickly to propose its first implementing regulation earlier this month. That proposal builds on the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking the Treasury issued last September. That notice sought public comment on a wide range of matters related to implementing the Genius Act. In your budget request, I was pleased to see targeted resources dedicated to carrying out the Genius Act. And to support this work, department offices are requesting $1.8 million and six full-time employees. These funds are focused on rulemaking and governance with an emphasis on efficiency. Additionally, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, FinCEN, is seeking $3 million and 10 full-time employees to drive innovation and establish national leadership in digital assets and stablecoins. Secretary Bessent, if you could just take a moment to comment on why these funds are necessary to implement the Genius Act.
Senator, to meet our obligations under the Genius Act, Treasury has already made two public requests for comment published under two notices of proposed rulemaking and a written report we have delivered to Congress. And to continue to work effectively internally and with our regulatory partners and other agencies, we have requested this additional funding makes total sense.
As the Genius Act is implemented, I want to make certain that you'll ensure that the Treasury Department works with my staff on any necessary fixes as rulemaking is carried out.
Thank you. I want to now turn the discussion to your decision to cancel contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton regarding concerns about how poorly they safeguarded sensitive taxpayer information. I appreciate your leadership on this matter and I want to better understand how Treasury and the federal government more broadly should be addressing contractor accountability. If you could just walk us through the factors that led to your determination that contract termination was the most appropriate response to deal with Booz Allen in this case.
Again, this was one of the largest data breaches in IRS history. As I have repeatedly said, my priorities at the IRS are customer service, collections, and privacy. And this was an egregious attack on the privacy of thousands of American taxpayers. Many of whom, you know, this was presented as a leak of the very richest taxpayers when in fact their employees' tax returns were also leaked. And we think that the vetting process for this contractor who got into the IRS, I believe he went in with the determination, this was premeditated and his employer failed to screen them. And we no longer have confidence in that firm's ability to screen, vet, and deploy contractors within the IRS or indeed the entire Treasury Department.
Well, I would absolutely agree with you. The cancellation of these contracts is wholly warranted and given Booz Allen's role in facilitating politically motivated criminal acts, breaches of sensitive information, it's a disgrace. That firm obviously failed miserably. And if you think about it, this isn't the only time an employee of a government contractor has done something malicious, politically motivated with the intent to weaponize the information that they have access to. And I think building on your leadership at Treasury, I'm going to continue to work with officials across the administration to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to prevent this type of politically motivated breach of public trust.
Further, we're going to have to ensure that outside contractors as well as career personnel are held accountable when they do violate the public trust or otherwise attack or undercut America's elected representatives. Now I'd like to turn to another topic, and that's the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and the refunds and the economic interests that have been promoted there. The act delivered on the president's commitment to put more money into the pockets of hardworking everyday Americans. It not only prevented the largest tax increase in our nation's history, it also delivered the largest tax cut on record. It advanced President Trump's agenda by removing taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits. Now, we're a week past the conclusion of the filing season. I just would like you to please share with us how the average refund for calendar year 2025 compares to the prior year and what that means for hardworking Americans.
Well, the average refund as we collate the final numbers is up between 11 and 13%. We do not have the numbers now, but my inclination is going to be that those filers who use schedule A, that their refunds would be up more than the average. And just to give you some numbers, Senator, this year we received over 155 million returns. Over 60 million filers use schedule A for one of the president's four signature policies. You also have the deductibility of interest on auto loans for American-made cars. The average tax cut for filers benefiting from the signature tax cuts was $800. Over 7 million filers, the no tax on tips received an average deduction of over $7,000, no tax on overtime over $3,100, car interest loan deduction $1,800, and the seniors deduction $7,500. And importantly, we are now up to 98% of taxpayers who file electronically, and those who filed electronically, 90% of them received these refunds within 21 days.
That's great news. Senator Coons.
Thank you, Chairman Hagerty, Ranking Member Reed. Thank you, Secretary Bessent. I'll have three questions for you this morning about sanctions, CDFIs, and direct file. We're about 7 weeks into the war with Iran. And I wondered, Mr. Secretary, given that your department enforces sanctions, if you have a sense just how much Iran has gained through sanctions relief since the war began. I'll tell you estimates are $14 billion. Now, President Trump's described the Obama Iran deal as a disaster and a scandal because of the money Iran got, which was about 1.7 billion. I don't know how you describe 14 billion, but you don't have to read the Art of War to know that helping your adversaries gain money while you're at war is a terrible idea. And it's shocking to me that the countries currently profiting from the release of sanctions are our enemies. No country has profited more from this war than Russia. Oil and gas prices are up nearly 50% since February. And it'd be bad enough if Russia were just profiting from higher global oil prices. But your Treasury Department lifted sanctions on Russian oil, giving them an extra 150 million a day in revenue. And those funds are going not just to kill Ukrainians, but Russia's using its profits to support Iran with drones and intelligence to kill our troops. So, look, to summarize, I find it hard to believe that we are continuing to relieve sanctions pressure on Russia and Iran. I was encouraged when last week you said that the department would not extend the sanctions relief for Russia. Yet the next day that was reversed. Can you give me any brief idea why it's a good idea to relieve sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil?
Good. With pleasure, Senator. The $14 billion is a myth and unfortunately a DNC talking point that I've been subjected to many times. If anyone would like to show me where that 14 billion comes from, I look forward to an exchange of details on that.
Mr. Secretary, we can exchange it in a very public forum. I'm not the DNC. I'm the senator from Delaware.
Well, I on every talk show and every senator seems to have...
Do you disagree that Iran has received significant additional revenue from their sales of oil because of sanctions relief?
I couldn't disagree more.
Okay. Do you disagree that Russia has received significant additional revenue from the sanctions relief?
I couldn't disagree more.
Okay. Why did you relieve the sanctions against Russian and Iranian oil?
Think of it this way, sir. There's the Strait of Hormuz.
There is oil to the left and to the right. The Treasury was able to, just as you are concerned about gasoline prices for the American consumer and for our Asian allies as are we, Treasury was able to create more than 250 million barrels on the water. And the way to think about this is as they came in today, the oil prices are at $100. If we had not done that sanctions relief, they might have been at 150 because the world became very well supplied. So if Russia was selling their oil at a 20% discount, I can tell you that 100% of 100 is less than 80% of 150. And the American consumer has been better off.
Well, we also look, the folks in Delaware are buying $4 a gallon gas today. I don't see that we've seen a significant reduction in the price at the pump or the price on the world markets. But I have two more questions I want to get to and I look forward to disputing with you the details. I believe that Russia and Iran have benefited from the release of sanctions. And when you said we're not going to extend sanctions relief and then we're reversed, I was deeply disheartened because we shouldn't be funding Putin's war machine. I would like to take that...
That was as a result last week was bank week, World Bank and IMF week, and on Wednesday it was my belief we would not do it. I was approached by more than 10 of the most vulnerable and poorest countries in terms of energy and they asked us to extend that sanction and it's only for 30 days.
30 days, 4.5 billion to Putin's war machine. Two quick more questions. The CDFI funds. I was encouraged by your comments in support of CDFI last year. I am one of 32 senators, bipartisan senators, who are co-sponsors of the Danes Warner Afford Act, which strengthens the CDFI fund. Delaware, like most states, has a housing affordability crisis. Every dollar provided by Treasury to CDFIs crowds in $8 in private investment. I think they are a proven, bipartisan, effective way to help build affordable housing in rural and urban communities. I'm perplexed by your budget proposal, which would cut over 200 million, a more than 60% cut to this successful program. Could you tell me briefly why?
First of all, that was an OMB alignment. The funding is now 280 million and I do support the new 100 million program in rural areas. And I can tell you that part of the CDFI program had lost its way in terms of a partisan agenda and we can see, you know, for instance...
Mr. Secretary, I have one last question for you, and I don't think funding affordable housing is a partisan agenda. Direct file. You spoke compellingly about an interest in making the IRS easier to access, more efficient. Yet you shut down the direct file program. I was very disappointed by that. More than 300,000 taxpayers used it last year. It is a quick, free, US government provided way to file taxes. The average American who has simple tax filing spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes through paid services. Direct file saved the average participant 160 bucks. 90% rated it favorably. And the alternatives are run by for-profit tax prep companies designed to steer filers towards paid alternatives. Why'd you shut down direct file when it was free and easy to use?
