"Spending Reductions in the tax code" isn't Orwellian doublespeak

There are tons of things in the tax code that are arguably spending channelled through the IRS. Refundable tax credits definitely fall into that category since you can have a negative tax balance for the year (i.e., get back more than was withheld), though I'd agree that IRS de facto spending goes a lot further than just those. I take that to be what Obama was talking about when he used that phrase in the speech rather than his vow to allow the part of the Bush tax cuts that goes to the wealthy to expire on schedule.