The Senate confirmed former Missouri Republican Rep. Billy Long as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner on Thursday in a 53-44 vote.
While serving twelve years in Congress, Long tried to dismantle the IRS through legislation multiple times, according to the Associated Press. During his congressional tenure, he pushed scraping the federal income tax in favor of a sales tax alternative, according to Fox News. Long has experience as a realtor, politician, and professional auctioneer.
“If confirmed, my goal is to modernize and streamline the IRS, so we are collecting the maximum amount owed each year,” Long said in a written testimony in May.
Trump has also spoken out against the IRS and in favor a tariff-based government revenue system instead, according to CNN.
The former representative’s confirmation comes amid shifts in the agency from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operations, which instituted layoffs. The IRS lost 31% of revenue agents in the spring through firings or deferred resignation plans, according to CBS News. DOGE claimed it found the IRS mismanaging taxpayer information, according to the Associated Press.
“The Biden Administration grew the IRS from 79,431 to 102,309 personnel,” a Treasury spokeswoman told CBS News in May. “Under new leadership, approximately the same number of employees have left the IRS, with a vast majority leaving voluntarily through the Deferred Resignation Program.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated once more information becomes available.
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