Senate Republicans disregard Billy Long’s record, confirm him as the next IRS commissioner

Among the many issues that have plagued the Internal Revenue Service in recent months is the revolving door at the commissioner’s office: Over the last five months, the tax agency has had five different chiefs.

As it happens, the sixth is likely to be the worst. CNBC reported:

The Missouri Republican was ultimately confirmed on a 53-44 vote. While three Senate Democrats missed the vote, their absences did not affect the outcome. Support for Long among GOP senators, including alleged “moderates,” was unanimous.

Given his record, that’s a tough dynamic to defend.

Before we dig in, it’s important to pause and note that Trump shouldn’t have chosen anyone to lead the IRS. When the president returned to power, the then-incumbent commissioner, Danny Werfel, had been appointed to a five-year term in 2022, and by all accounts, he wanted to keep his position — traditionally a “relatively nonpartisan management job” — until his term ended. Werfel was pushed out in an unprecedented move.

Complicating matters further, Trump nominated Long despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that the former congressman repeatedly sponsored legislation to eliminate the agency that he’ll now lead.

What’s more, The New York Times reported late last year that Long has a problematic record of peddling a pandemic-era tax credit that the IRS has warned was “a magnet for fraud.” Long’s record was so controversial that Senate Democrats suggested that he should face a criminal investigation.

Shortly before the confirmation vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered remarks on the chamber floor in which he said, “Senate Republicans want to put a tax fraudster in charge of the IRS — and I wish that was just a figure of speech. ... To have a tax fraudster and a swindler like Mr. Long in charge of the IRS is abominable. It shows that the only thing Donald Trump cares about is helping cheaters and liars get ahead, while leaving honest hardworking families in the dust.”

The New York Democrat added, “Long had no expertise in tax policy while in Congress, and after he left office, he joined the tax scam industry. In one instance, Mr. Long was paid over $60,000 by firms that sold totally fabricated tax credits to investors and small businesses. When asked about his role in this scheme in committee, Mr. Long refused to answer. When investigators sent him questions, he went dark. After Mr. Long’s nomination was announced, the CFO of the company that swindled these businesses told its investors not to worry, they’ll soon have a buddy at the IRS who will take off the heat. This is rank corruption.”

Long, who denied any wrongdoing during his confirmation hearing, received unanimous Republican support soon after.

The anti-IRS former congressman will arrive at the agency that’s currently dealing with DOGE-driven disruptions, the abandonment of a much-needed modernization initiative and allegations that the administration is preparing to politicize the agency’s criminal division.

And in case it seemed this story couldn’t get even worse, the president also appears to be eager to sic the IRS on his perceived political foes — in effect, trying to turn the agency into a political weapon — while the IRS faces alleged internal pressure to help those considered “friends” of the president.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts recently told Long, “You shouldn’t be within a thousand miles of the directorship of the IRS.” Soon after, 53 Senate Republicans came to the opposite conclusion.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.