A former congressman who previously supported legislation to completely abolish the Internal Revenue Service, has now been confirmed by the Senate to head up the agency as its new commissioner. This is beyond exciting. Imagine if the IRS was destroyed and our income no longer taken from us at threat of legal prosecution. That’s some serious winning.
Former Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) was confirmed by the Senate via a 53-44 vote. This provides the IRS with a permanent leader during a time of inner turmoil and staff cuts that have threatened to derail the 2026 tax filing season. Long was confirmed despite Democratic lawmakers being worried about his past work for a firm that pushed a coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and campaign contributions received after President Donald Trump nominated him for commissioner.
Here’s more from the Associated Press:
Long will take over an IRS undergoing massive change, including layoffs and voluntary retirements of tens of thousands of workers and accusations that then-Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency mishandled sensitive taxpayer data. Unions and advocacy organizations have sued to block DOGE’s access to the information.
The IRS was one of the highest-profile agencies still without a Senate-confirmed leader. Before Long’s confirmation, the IRS shuffled through four acting leaders, including one who resigned over a deal between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another whose appointment led to a fight between Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. After leaving Congress to mount an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate, Long worked with a firm that distributed the pandemic-era employee retention tax credit. That tax credit program was eventually shut down after then-IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel determined that it was fraudulent.
Democrats are now making calls for Long’s connections to alleged tax credit loopholes to be investigated. They allege that these firms tricked their investors into blowing through millions of dollars to buy fake tax credits.
Or maybe the left is terrified their money machine and main tool of oppression could be on the verge of extinction with Long at the helm?
Last month, Long made an appearance before the Senate Finance Committee where he fully denied participating in any wrongdoing related to the tax credit scheme.
“Ahead of the confirmation vote, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles blasting the requisite FBI background check conducted on Long as a political appointee as inadequate,” the AP reported.
“These issues were not adequately investigated,” Wyden said in the letter. “In fact, the FBI’s investigation, a process dictated by the White House, seemed designed to avoid substantively addressing any of these concerning public reports. It’s almost as if the FBI is unable to read the newspaper.”
Another individual appointed by Trump that wants to figuratively burn the agency they are tasked with leading to the ground is Linda McMahon. She is the head of the Department of Education and has stated on several occasions she’s doing her best to put herself out of a job.
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