Citizens Against Government Waste Names Sen. Elizabeth Warren April 2025 Porker of the Month

Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) its April 2025 Porker of the Month for her efforts to expand the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Direct File system to prepare and collect everyone’s taxes.

Direct File is duplicative, costly, and dangerous. It not only competes with the IRS’s Free File system that gives taxpayers the ability to use private sector programs but also is limited and ineffective since it cannot be used for state income tax returns and taxpayers were unable to claim education tax credits. In December 2024, the IRS estimated that Direct File would cost $24.6 million and be used by at least 2.3 million taxpayers. But a March 20, 2025, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report said it cost $33.4 million and only 104,800 returns out of 423,450 filed were accepted. Direct File was also set up without any statutory authority.

CAGW President Tom Schatz said, “Sen. Warren’s push to expand the duplicative and wasteful Direct File program shows her complete disregard for protecting taxpayer dollars and information. Only taxpayers know their personal financial situation, but Direct File is allowing the IRS to become the preparer, biller, and enforcer of everyone’s taxes. Filing taxes is already difficult and stressful enough for taxpayers. Sen. Warren should be ashamed of her proposal that will waste money and harm taxpayers across America. For her efforts to expand the size and scope of the IRS’s power and take away personal control, Sen. Warren was an easy choice for this month’s Porker.”

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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