Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) our August 2022 Porker of the Month for lying about not raising taxes during a recession by creating the “Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).”

In 2010, Sen. Manchin said, “I don’t think during a time of recession you mess with any of the taxes or increase any taxes.” Cut to August 6, 2022, when Sen. Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) jointly introduced the IRA. Sen. Manchin says he made the agreement because there are no tax increases, just the closing of loopholes. Like many other members of Congress, Sen. Manchin has trouble with the truth and math.

Instead of helping the economy, the misnamed IRA will raise taxes on Americans in every income bracket, increase spending, and prolong the worst inflation in 40 years. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that those making less than $400,000 will pay $20 billion more in new taxes over 10 years, which breaks President Biden’s pledge not to raise their taxes. Sen. Manchin’s IRA provides $80 billion to hire 87,000 new IRS employees, which is six times the agency’s current budget and will make it larger than the State Department, FBI, and Customs and Border Patrol combined. The IRA also imposes new drug price controls that will crush innovation, increase healthcare costs, and prevent hundreds of new cures. More than half of the $739 billion tax increase will be spent on wasteful Green New Deal programs like “tree equity,” “clean” garbage trucks, and studying cow farts. Despite his claim before the bill was passed that it would cut inflation, Sen. Manchin admitted after the August 16, 2022, signing ceremony that the IRA will not help reduce inflation anytime soon.

CAGW President Tom Schatz said, “Sen. Manchin has lied to his constituents and every other American. The IRA increases spending when inflation is at 8.5 percent, the economy is in a recession, and families are having to choose between buying food or paying their electric bill. Despite claims that the new IRS agents will only target wealthy taxpayers, there are not enough of them to account for the anticipated increase in revenue, so small businesses and the middle class will be hit with a massive number of new and onerous audits. Americans can expect the IRA to cause further damage to the economy, investment, and innovation, and for those reasons, Sen. Manchin was an easy choice for CAGW’s August Porker of the Month.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. For more than two decades, Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers and government officials who have shown a blatant disregard for the taxpayers.

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