I was initially under the impression that my staff was sharing a copy of The Onion, until I realized this story was, in fact, true.
— Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), in a letter to the IRS, after learning last week the agency awarded the beleaguered Equifax a government contract worth $7.25 million under a no-bid contract. Under the terms of the agreement, Equifax will be tasked with verifying taxpayer identities and preventing fraud. If the irony is too much to comprehend, you aren’t alone.
Senate Finance Chair Orrin Hatch said, “It’s irresponsible for the IRS to turn over millions in taxpayer dollars to a company that has yet to offer a succinct answer on how at least 145 million Americans had personally identifiable information exposed.” And New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich upped his social media game for the occasion.