House Conservatives Move Bill to Impeach IRS Director

Encouraged by the conservative media and upset with the House Republican leadership on this issue, House conservatives moved Tuesday afternoon with a motion on the House floor to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.

Shortly after introducing the motion, Rep. John Fleming, R.-La., explained to Newsmax that he hoped for a direct vote by the full House on impeaching Koskinen, whom he charged "has lied to Congress and the American public."

Koskinen, an appointee of President Barack Obama, has long been charged by Fleming and other lawmakers for refusing to cooperate with Congress in investigations of alleged IRS harassment of conservative and "tea party" organizations.

As to why he is moving for a vote by the full House rather than the normal impeachment of Judiciary Committee hearings and vote by that panel first, Fleming explained to Newsmax that "we asked the Judiciary Committee to do that almost a year ago and it failed to hold a hearing [on Koskinen]. [Utah Rep.] Jason Chafetz first made the motion for [Judiciary] committee hearings, then I did, but nothing happened."

"We invited Mr. Koskinen to other committees to talk about this but he refused to cooperate," Fleming added.

As to whether Speaker Paul Ryan and other House leaders should be held accountable for any delay in action against the IRS boss, Fleming replied: "I think the American people will hold us all accountable for not acting on obvious corruption."

But Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., a co-sponsor of the impeachment resolution, went further in indicting the leadership on the inaction by the House against Koskinen.

"The whole leadership team didn't want to proceed!" Huelskamp told Newsmax, "The IRS targeted Americans. And we have the question of whether someone who has lied to you will be allowed to continue to do it."

"I don't know why they [the leadership] are stalled on this," he added.

Huelskamp and other proponents of a direct impeachment praised nationally syndicated columnist George Will for a column Sunday calling on Congress to finally take action on Koskinen.

"George Will did a fantastic job clarifying this issue," said the Kansas lawmaker.

Fleming and Huelskamp said they expected the House to take up whether to proceed with the Koskinen impeachment on Thursday. If a vote is scheduled in the House and Koskinen is impeached, Fleming explained, "then it is up to the Senate to hold a trial of their own and then vote on whether or not to remove him."

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.