IRS, Three Other Agencies Closed For The Day Due To Sequestration

Spending cuts have left the IRS shuttered Friday as it faces a controversy over the targeting of tea party groups.

The furloughs were put in place due to sequestration, automatic cuts included in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Office of Management and Budget are also closed Friday.

The agencies' employees will not be paid. It is the largest closing of government offices since the government shutdowns of the 1990s.

The IRS will also close on June 14, July 5, July 22, and Aug. 30 due to the cuts.

Congress and President Barack Obama have criticized the agency in the wake of news that it singled out conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status for additional scrutiny. Lois Lerner, the IRS director of exempt organizations, was placed on administrative leave Thursday after invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Wednesday. She has since been replaced by Ken Corbin.