DeSantis says he would eliminate the IRS (with Congressional help).

[unknown]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...y-government-agencies-president-election-2024

Ron DeSantis pledged on Wednesday that he would eliminate four federal agencies if he were elected president: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, and Department of Education.

“If Congress will work with me on doing that, we’ll be able to reduce the size and scope of government,” the Florida governor said in an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum.

“If Congress won’t go that far, I’m going to use those agencies to push back against woke ideology and against the leftism that we see creeping into all institutions of American life.”

Presidential candidates have long tried to eliminate federal agencies, but cannot do so unilaterally, needing Congress to go along with the plan.

Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, had one of the most embarrassing moments in a presidential campaign in recent memory during a 2011 debate, when he forgot one of the agencies he wanted to eliminate.

Donald Trump later tapped him to lead that agency, the Department of Energy.

 

[unknown]

What about the FBI, ATF, CIA, NSA...

 

[unknown]

Doesn't the Executive Branch create the budget?

Submit the budget with zero funding for those agencies.

 

[CaptUSA]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...y-government-agencies-president-election-2024

Ron DeSantis pledged on Wednesday that he would eliminate four federal agencies if he were elected president: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, and Department of Education.

“If Congress will work with me on doing that, we’ll be able to reduce the size and scope of government,” the Florida governor said in an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum.

“If Congress won’t go that far, I’m going to use those agencies to push back against woke ideology and against the leftism that we see creeping into all institutions of American life.”

Presidential candidates have long tried to eliminate federal agencies, but cannot do so unilaterally, needing Congress to go along with the plan.

Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, had one of the most embarrassing moments in a presidential campaign in recent memory during a 2011 debate, when he forgot one of the agencies he wanted to eliminate.

Donald Trump later tapped him to lead that agency, the Department of Energy.

Bolded the applicable parts of this.

Another politician that will pretend that he wants to reduce government power, but really wants to control the power for use against his opponents. And I had high hopes for him during the Covid insanity.

 

[unknown]

The one guy took credit for, pushed and is still promoting the clot shot.

The other guy allowed millions of genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in his state...

 

[ClaytonB]

*checks notes* Yep, Florida Department of Revenue exists.

<Maury Povich voice>: "The lie-detector test determined ... that was a lie."

 

[Matt Collins]

Someone should ask him about why he signed the largest tax hike in Florida's history a couple of years back?

 

[PAF]

Someone should ask him about why he signed the largest tax hike in Florida's history a couple of years back?

Someone should ask him about that, along with his entire record:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?555734-Ron-DeSantis-On-The-Record

 

[Occam's Banana]

Bolded the applicable parts of this.

Another politician that will pretend that he wants to reduce government power, but really wants to control the power for use against his opponents. And I had high hopes for him during the Covid insanity.

Exactly - propose something that appeals to the right but that you know isn't going to actually happen (at least, not on the terms in which you have presented it), while laying the groundwork for using its inevitable failure as an excuse to do the very sort of thing you are ostensibly objecting to.

Ron DeSantis is not coming to save us.

Neither is anyone else on the putative "right".

Yesterday, I saw a "conservative" commentator (I don't remember who) complain about this "pledge" and call DeSantis a "dictator" - not because of the "if Congress doesn't do it, I will use those agencies against my enemies" thing, but just for advocating the elimination of those agencies in the first place. (Michael Malice is absolutely correct when he says "conservatism is progressivism driving the speed limit".)