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.” more
No reason to stop working towards that goal.
Maybe he can get the “no tax on Social Security” done!
Stop teasing us and do it.