Staff Reports
At a recent White House press briefing, the ever-enthusiastic Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took a comedic stab at the notion of “no tax on tips,” a policy suddenly attributed to Vice President Kamala Harris as if she had birthed it anew. This pristine ideological moment was promptly overshadowed by the fact that the concept has its roots in none other than former President Donald Trump’s playbook. One could almost hear the echoes of Biden’s administration desperately trying to hop on the Trump train, even if they missed the last station.
When confronted about this newfound admiration for tax-free tipping, Jean-Pierre responded with laughter, signaling that perhaps she wasn’t entirely convinced herself. The reporter who asked about the origins of this policy was essentially voicing what every conservative had been thinking. The Biden-Harris administration’s flip-flop strategy is becoming an amusing trend that makes one question whether they even have a coherent philosophy beyond riding Trump’s coattails.
REPORTER: "Eliminating taxes on tips…is that an idea that the Biden administration considered at any point in the past three and a half years?!"
KJP: "The president supports it…" pic.twitter.com/qzXRsWOfVF
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 12, 2024
Jean-Pierre went on to assert that President Biden was all aboard the “no tax on tips” express, claiming support that has notably vanished from the administration’s agenda for the past three and a half years. It’s as if the White House is in a perpetual game of charades, only nobody seems to know the rules. The cacophony of crickets from Biden on this issue leads many to wonder if he even knows tipping goes beyond mere fast-food drive-throughs.
Adding a cherry on top of this delightful contradiction is the Biden/Harris IRS, which last year enthusiastically unveiled a brand-new tip-snitch line designed for things like… well, tips. The so-called Service Industry Tip Compliance Agreement (SITCA) is yet another example of bureaucratic overreach disguised as helpfulness. The IRS proclaimed it was an effort to improve compliance using modern payment technologies, yet this hasn’t stopped them from tightening the noose around service industry workers who are already struggling to make a living wage.
In a twist more humorous than tragic, the White House thinks it can confuse hardworking Americans while advancing their agenda of increased taxation and regulation. This attempt to look “pro-worker” falls flat when juxtaposed against the reality of reinforcing a system that pushes for maximum compliance with government snooping. In the world of the Biden administration, claiming to be the champion for tipped workers while simultaneously weaponizing the IRS against them is just another day at the office.
