Senate confirms Billy Long as IRS chief

The Senate voted Thursday, along party lines, to confirm Billy Long to head the Internal Revenue Service , amid downsizing and other shakeups at the agency.

The 53-44 vote ends a more than seven-month process that began last December, when President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Long as IRS chief.

Long, a former six-term congressman from Missouri, will come aboard during a period of upheaval at the IRS, which has already lost thousands of workers this year and is in the process of shedding more. The Treasury Department has also been making a big push to improve IRS technology and to lean more on artificial intelligence to boost tax compliance.

Long was confirmed over strident opposition from Democrats, who pointed to his ties to companies that promoted what appear to be non-existent tribal tax credits and his own work pushing a pandemic-era incentive, the Employee Retention Credit, that saw thousands of questionable claims.

Democrats have also expressed concern that Long will allow political interference from the White House, a particular worry after Trump called for Harvard to lose its tax exemption.

“Under Mr. Long, the IRS will become the Department of MAGA Crooks. Donald Trump will use the IRS as he has used other agencies to punish his political opponents, to help cheaters and tax evaders, all while hardworking families watch billionaires pay less in taxes,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday.

Republicans said Long had assured them he was qualified for the job, despite his lack of extensive tax epertise and management experience, during the nomination process.

He's also been praised by GOP tax writers in the House.

“I am confident Commissioner Long will bring his Missouri ‘Show Me State’ attitude to the agency — demanding results, transparency, and accountability from day one,” said a fellow Missouri Republican, Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, who served with Long in the House.