The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm former U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Missouri as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
The vote was 53-44 along party lines.
During his time in office, Long had cosponsored legislation to abolish the IRS. Now, he says he hopes to “improve” it.
“I have the opportunity to make real, transformational change to an agency that needs it more than any other federal agency,” Long said during his confirmation hearing in May.
President Donald Trump nominated Long in December 2024, calling him “an extremely hard worker … respected by all,” The Daily Wire previously reported.
“Billy brings 32 years of experience running his own businesses in Real Estate and, as one of the premier Auctioneers in the Country,” Trump said in a statement at the time. “Since leaving Congress, Billy has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.”
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Long had said he was “very honored and excited” to be nominated for the position, The Daily Wire reported at the time.
“Taxpayers and the wonderful employees of the IRS will love having Billy at the helm,” Trump said in December. “He is the consummate ‘people person,’ well respected on both sides of the aisle.”
Long will replace the current Acting Commissioner Michael Faulkender. Former Commissioner Danny Werfel, who had been appointed by former President Joe Biden, resigned when Trump took office in January.
Long’s confirmation comes as over 20,000 IRS employees resigned in April after accepting Trump’s second buyout offer.
Trump has announced plans to revamp the agency, signing an executive order “to modernize how the government handles money, switching from old-fashioned paper-based payments to fast, secure electronic payments.”
