By Ashley Murray
Senators split along party lines, 53-44, to confirm the Republican, who served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023, and previously spent multiple years as a talk radio host.
Long heads to the IRS after the agency has lost more than 11,000 employees, or 11% of its workforce, either through deferred resignations or mass firing of probationary workers since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a May 2 report from the agency’s inspector general.
In a social media post after Long’s confirmation, Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, congratulated the new IRS commissioner.
“I look forward to partnering with him in his efforts to modernize the IRS and improve customer service for taxpayers,” wrote Crapo, of Idaho.
Long’s nomination process was overshadowed by a Democrat-led investigation into the former lawmaker’s involvement in a fake tribal tax credit scheme.
Long denied any wrongdoing during his May 20 confirmation hearing.
Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said on the floor ahead of Thursday’s vote that a decision on Long “ought to be an easy no.”
“It’s one corruption bombshell after another with former Congressman Billy Long. Fake tax credits. Scam tax advice. Shadowy political donations that went straight in his pocket. Promises of personal favors. No-show jobs with high-paying federal salaries. That’s quite a rap-sheet,” said Wyden, of Oregon.
The IRS is tasked with collecting tax revenue and enforcing the tax code.
A crook now runs the IRS
ReplyDeleteWe have got to fix our awful and time-consuming way of doing taxes and give everyone an easy and fair and simple way to do them. This is the 21st-Century, and we are doings things so antiquated. The only way is to use a flat or consumption/services tax with just one standard percentage to calculate with. Why is the simplest solution that the people have been wanting for decades not being used? Everyone (No Matter what Income), would be charged the same standard percentage - NO Favoritism -
ReplyDeleteThe current IRS system, however, still uses Assembly Language Code (ALC) and COBOL Technology from the early 1970's. Which they have tried and tried to update those systems and have failed every time. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provided nearly $5 billion to the IRS for business systems modernization, which has failed again to change or alter any ways the IRS systems operate.
The PPPP strikes again!
DeleteBoss Hog is the same fool that wanted to dismantle the IRS and now an idiot put him in charge of it. Be prepared to watch the rich pay less taxes while the middle and lower class foot the bill.
ReplyDelete