New IRS Commissioner Once Sponsored A Bill To Eliminate The Agency Entirely
Tyler Durden

The U.S. Senate confirmed former Missouri Rep. Billy Long on Thursday as the new commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service in a 53–44 vote, ending months of temporary leadership at an agency under intense scrutiny and facing deep staffing cuts, according to AP.

Long, a Republican who served in Congress from 2011 to 2023, once sponsored a bill to eliminate the IRS entirely.

It's a step in the right direction...

A former auctioneer with no tax administration experience, he now takes the helm of a struggling agency facing a potential crisis ahead of the 2026 tax filing season.

AP writes that Democrats opposed the confirmation, raising concerns about Long’s past involvement with a firm that promoted a pandemic-era tax credit later shut down for fraud. Long denied wrongdoing during Senate testimony. “These issues were not adequately investigated,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in a letter to the White House, criticizing Long’s background check. “It’s almost as if the FBI is unable to read the newspaper.”

After an unsuccessful 2022 Senate bid, Long joined a company marketing the now-discredited employee retention tax credit. Lawmakers also questioned campaign contributions made to his campaign shortly after former President Donald Trump nominated him.

Long takes over as the IRS undergoes major changes, including the loss of about 20,000 employees—roughly equal to the number hired during the Biden administration. Tax experts warn the agency’s ability to process returns and collect revenue could be compromised.

The fate of the Biden-era Direct File program remains uncertain. Long told senators it would be “one of the first programs that come up for discussion” under his leadership.

Treasury Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender welcomed the appointment in an internal email to staff, writing, “Long’s experience will be critically important to the IRS at this time of transformation, as we build a modern IRS.”

The IRS had cycled through four acting commissioners before Long’s confirmation—one resigned after a controversial data-sharing deal with ICE, and another sparked a political feud between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The agency has also been caught up in legal battles. Unions and advocacy groups sued to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive taxpayer data, accusing it of mismanagement.

Long joins a list of Trump appointees who once sought to dismantle the agencies they now oversee. “This is not unprecedented,” noted one observer, pointing to past examples like Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

 

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