Kansas Senators Support Controversial IRS Commissioner Despite Democratic Opposition
June 13, 2025
WASHINGTON — Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall joined the majority Thursday in confirming former Missouri Rep. Billy Long as the new IRS commissioner, despite Democratic concerns about his past business dealings and lack of tax administration experience.
The Senate approved Long's nomination 53-44, filling a critical leadership void at the Internal Revenue Service after months of acting commissioners and massive workforce reductions. Long, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2023, previously sponsored legislation to abolish the IRS he now leads.
Democrats raised serious objections to Long's confirmation, citing his work with a firm that promoted the pandemic-era employee retention tax credit program later shut down due to widespread fraud. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon criticized the FBI background check as inadequate and questioned unusually timed campaign contributions Long received after his nomination.
"These issues were not adequately investigated," Wyden wrote to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. "The FBI's investigation seemed designed to avoid substantively addressing any of these concerning public reports."
Long, a former auctioneer with no tax administration background, inherits an agency undergoing dramatic changes. The IRS has eliminated approximately 20,000 positions — roughly 25% of its workforce — raising concerns about the 2026 filing season. The cuts represent about the same number of jobs added under the Biden administration.
The agency has cycled through four acting commissioners in recent months, including one who resigned over a controversial data-sharing agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Long's appointment comes as the IRS faces lawsuits over the Department of Government Efficiency's access to sensitive taxpayer information.
During his confirmation hearing, Long denied wrongdoing related to the tax credit scheme and indicated the Direct File program — a free electronic filing system developed under President Biden — would be among the first initiatives reviewed. The program faces opposition from Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies.
Long joins other Trump appointees tasked with managing agencies they previously sought to eliminate, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who advocates closing her own department.
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