5 Federal Agencies in the GOP’s Crosshairs

Five federal agencies are bracing for a tough year as Republicans take full control of Congress in January, when lawmakers return to Washington.

The Internal Revenue Service, Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency may all see extra scrutiny from Congress, especially when it comes to contentious issues like Obamacare.

To get an idea of just how brutal things may be, consider the CRomnibus spending bill. Republicans, with little opposition from Democrats, slipped a $350 million cut to the IRS’s budget into the spending bill. The IRS has been arguably the GOP’s biggest target ever since the agency honed in on conservative groups. The agency has been scrutinized by both parties as well for excessive spending on lavish conferences, all courtesy of the taxpayer.

The cuts this year are so significant however, that IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has warned they may cripple the agency just as it takes on more responsibility under the Affordable Care Act.

These five agencies are up for extra scrutiny:

Internal Revenue Service

The GOP spent a good chunk of 2014 grilling IRS officials about targeting conservative groups. Though the scandal has not proven to reach all the way to the White House, the GOP is not done scrutinizing the IRS.

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