Republicans blame Obamacare for IRS service cuts
The IRS' overloaded phone system hung up on more than 8 million taxpayers this filing season as the agency cut millions of dollars from taxpayer services.
For those who weren't disconnected, only 40 percent actually got through to a person. Many of those people had to wait on hold for more than 30 minutes.
A staff report released Wednesday by Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee says the IRS diverted millions from taxpayer services and other areas to pay for President Barack Obama's health law.
In a statement, Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, the committee's chairman, called the report's findings "deeply troubling," and vowed that the agency would be held accountable.
At a hearing Wednesday, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen blamed budget cuts. The agency's budget has been cut by $1.2 billion since 2010.
Koskinen said the agency is required by law to implement the health law, leaving him with few places to cut.