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WASHINGTON – Last night, Congressman Paul Tonko voted with fellow House Democrats to pass an FY 2019 Treasury and IRS appropriations bill to ensure that hard-working New Yorkers can receive their tax refunds on time and in full. Each year, approximately 7,812,000 households in New York receive an average tax return of around $3,077, but timely processing of these returns remains in doubt as long as the President and Senate Republicans refuse to end the Trump Shutdown and fully re-open the IRS.

“There should be no confusion that New Yorkers who file their taxes will get the tax refund they are entitled to, in full and on time, and to do that we must re-open the IRS,” said Tonko. “The President needs to come to his senses and tell the Republican-led Senate that he will sign this bill to re-open the Department of the Treasury and the IRS as soon as they get their act together and pass it. In the meantime, my colleagues and I will continue to work to re-open government and keep our promise to deliver progress for the American people.”

After House Democrats announced plans to pass this bill earlier in the week, the Trump Administration reversed its position that the IRS is unable to issue tax refunds during a shutdown, stating that it will bring back some furloughed employees. Details of the plan were not released and confusion for tax filers is likely to continue. The only way to ensure that all Americans can file and receive their tax refunds without delay is to fully re-open the IRS and bring all employees back to work.

On the first day of the 116^th Congress, the new House Democratic majority took the first steps to restore certainty to people's lives by passing a complete funding package with Senate Republicans’ language to re-open government. Senate Republicans reversed course, refusing to bring the bill up for a vote. Over the coming days, Democrats will take action to re-open all government agencies that are currently in shutdown by passing individual, bipartisan appropriations bills.

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