Bill Aimed at Tax-Delinquent Federal Workers Fails

The House rejected a proposal that would have given the federal government the power to fire tax-delinquent federal workers.

On Tax Day, the bill failed to get enough votes to meet the two-thirds requirements to pass the House, according to The Washington Post.

The legislation would have given agencies the authority to fire workers who owed back taxes to the IRS. It would have also prevented prospective job applicants from being able to get a job in the federal government if their federal taxes were in arrears.

According to the newspaper, a majority of Republicans supported the measure, which ultimately failed in a 266-160 vote.

This is not the first time a bill like this has surfaced. Last year, a Senate committee approved a similar proposal that would have required prospective and current federal government workers to remain reasonably in compliance with their IRS tax obligations.

Proponents of the legislation note that not all federal workers keep up with their tax obligations. Federal workers owed $1.1 billion in back taxes, as of Sept. 30, 2014, according to IRS records.

However, critics point out that it unfairly targets federal workers, who have been forced to weather numerous financial setbacks because of deadlocks in Congress. They have been saddled with furloughs and pay freezes in part because of partisan bickering on Capitol Hill.