Thune and Johnson's Political Columns

IRS Needs to Do More to Protect Taxpayer Data
By Sen. John Thune

    In 2022, Congress passed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act. As its name suggests, this law bans TikTok on government devices due to the significant security risks that the app poses. This was an important step to protect sensitive data and government networks, but a recent report indicates that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has not fully complied with the law.
    A recent inspector general report revealed that 2,800 mobile devices used by IRS Criminal Investigation employees and computers assigned to those employees can access TikTok. The inspector general also found that the IRS has not updated its “Bring Your Own Device” program, which shockingly allows IRS employees to use personal devices for business purposes. That means that IRS employees who are accessing sensitive taxpayer information on their personal devices are also potentially accessing TikTok. Worse still is that the IRS won’t commit to complying with recommendations to resolve the personal device issues until October 2024.
    As the lead Republican on the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, holding the IRS accountable is an obligation I take very seriously. In response to this troubling report, I recently sent a letter to the IRS commissioner requesting information about the agency’s compliance with the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, the IRS’s “Bring Your Own Device” program, and the security of taxpayer information being accessed on personal devices. TikTok’s close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and their troubling data practices are reasons to be concerned about the app being loaded onto or accessible on a device that also deals with taxpayer and government data. This warrants swift action by the IRS to comply with the law and protect Americans’ data.
    Unfortunately, this is only the latest issue in the IRS’s troubling history of mishandling taxpayer information. In the last few years alone, the IRS has inadvertently posted confidential information from 120,000 taxpayers on its website, destroyed 30 million unprocessed tax documents, and tens of thousands of Americans’ tax information was stolen by an IRS contractor and wound up in the hands of the left-leaning news site ProPublica.
    The American people should be able to trust that when they file their taxes with the IRS, their personal information is safe. I will continue to hold the IRS accountable for its handling of taxpayer information and ensure the agency is adequately protecting Americans’ information.  

Preserving our Partnerships
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
BIG News
    This week, I traveled to Taiwan with the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It was a productive trip, meeting with Taiwan’s leaders to identify ways to strengthen our partnership and tackle the China threat. During a meeting with President Tsai, we discussed the importance of trade between our two countries. After Canada and Mexico, Taiwan buys more American ag products per capita than any other country. Taiwan also produces over 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. Their trade relationships are critically important to the health of the global economy and preserving our partnership is vital to Taiwan’s food security and national security.
    Taiwan is rightfully concerned about an invasion from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). During a visit to the Taiwan Strait, only 110 miles from China, I saw how an invasion by the CCP could play out. Our team spent hours being briefed by American military experts about how our nation is providing the training and equipment Taiwan needs to defend itself.
BIG Idea
    On Monday, I was in Wessington Springs to speak at the annual Farm, Home, and Health Show that has been on a three-year hiatus. High school senior Avery had the great idea to restart the show. She used her leadership skills to bring the show back, organizing more than 60 vendors and events throughout the day. Avery gave me the opportunity to share an update from Congress and answer questions from attendees.
BIG Update
    Last April, the Biden Administration announced a proposed climate rule that would effectively require 67 percent of new car sales to be all-electric by 2032. That’s a big jump from last year’s 7.6 percent of all-electric car sales.
    After pushback from thousands of car dealerships, industry workers, members of Congress, and concerned citizens like you, the Administration has decided to take their foot off the gas for this requirement. While this is a win for the short term, Biden plans to speed up EV benchmarks after 2030.
    These EV requirements:
    -Increase our reliance on China for semiconductors and chips
    -Force Americans to pay more for their vehicles
    -Increase government debt due to EV tax credits
     This week, I joined nearly 140 House Republicans to urge the White House to stop this proposed rule and I joined Fox Business to talk about this overburdensome rule.