Vote Alert: Block Impeachment of IRS Commissioner

This vote was on whether or not IRS Commissioner John Koskinen's impeachment should be blocked. Conservatives have made the case that Koskinen was involved in covering-up and hampering Congress' investigation into the IRS targeting of conservative groups and conservative speech. Koskinen has been accused of repeatedly lying under oath and refusing to cooperate with congressional investigators. In June 2014, he told Congress that since the start of this investigation into former Commissioner Lois Lerner, every email had been preserved. Yet, just three months earlier, IRS officials magnetically erased 422 backup tapes containing as many as 24,000 of Lois Lerner’s emails. House conservatives brought articles of impeachment to the floor accusing Koskinen of violating the public trust of his office. Instead of affirming the articles of impeachment and sending them to the Senate to be tried, the motion was blocked. For years, Congress has abdicated its oversight powers and the accountability tool of impeachment against abusive executive officials. Koskinen was a perfect candidate for impeachment and this would have been an opportune moment to strengthen congressional power and deter future executive officials from malfeasance and to hold corrupt government officials accountable. A vote in support of this motion was a vote to block impeachment. The bill passed the House on December 6. 2016 342-72.

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Conservative position: NO