Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long has been confirmed as the new commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service in a 53-44 Senate vote, officially taking the reins of the agency he once sought to eliminate during his time in Congress.

Long, who represented Missouri’s 7th Congressional District from 2011 to 2013, previously introduced legislation to abolish the IRS.

CONFIRMED! Congratulations to Billy Long for becoming the 51st Commissioner of the IRS. Fun fact: Billy sought to abolish the IRS when he was in Congress. pic.twitter.com/piCJNNatnK

— @amuse (@amuse) June 12, 2025

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He now steps in as the permanent head of the agency after a lengthy period marked by interim leadership and operational instability.

His confirmation comes at a critical moment for the IRS, which is undergoing significant restructuring due to mass employee departures, budget constraints, and internal investigations.

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Tens of thousands of IRS employees have accepted voluntary retirement or been laid off in recent months.

The agency has also been dealing with allegations involving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which it accuses of mishandling sensitive taxpayer data.

Long assumes control following a string of leadership changes.

The agency had four acting commissioners in recent years, with the most recent resigning after details emerged about a data-sharing agreement between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security involving tax information on immigrants shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Another former acting commissioner departed after internal conflict stemming from a high-profile dispute between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Long’s confirmation was not without opposition.

Senate Democrats raised concerns about Long’s prior ties to companies connected to questionable tax credit practices.

According to an Associated Press report, “Democrats called for a criminal investigation into Long’s connections to other alleged tax credit loopholes. The lawmakers allege that firms connected to Long duped investors into spending millions of dollars to purchase fake tax credits.”

Long appeared before the Senate Finance Committee last month, where he denied all allegations and stated that he had no involvement in any illegal activity tied to the tax credit program.

After his time in Congress, Long ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign and later worked for a company that distributed employee retention tax credits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That program was later shut down by then-IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, who declared it fraudulent.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the current ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a formal objection to Long’s nomination in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, arguing that the FBI’s background check on Long was insufficient.

“These issues were not adequately investigated,” Wyden wrote.

“In fact, the FBI’s investigation, a process dictated by the White House, seemed designed to avoid substantively addressing any of these concerning public reports. It’s almost as if the FBI is unable to read the newspaper.”

In addition to the tax credit controversy, several Democratic lawmakers have sent letters to Long and affiliated firms questioning what they called “unusually timed contributions” to Long’s Senate campaign that were made shortly after President Donald Trump nominated him for the IRS post.

Long is one of several Trump administration officials who have publicly supported downsizing or eliminating the agencies they now oversee.

Current Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has repeatedly stated that her long-term goal is to close the Department of Education and shift its responsibilities to the states.

Long now faces the challenge of steering the IRS through a period of leadership instability, restructuring, and heightened political scrutiny, while defending his past statements and affiliations.

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