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Senate Finance hearing exposes sharp disagreement over Rep. Billy Long’s IRS nomination
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Summary
Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo signaled support for Rep. Billy Long’s nomination to lead the IRS while Ranking Member Ron Wyden urged colleagues to oppose it, citing committee findings and recordings alleging Long’s involvement promoting questionable tax credits and unexplained campaign donations.
The Senate Finance Committee on June 4 took statements on the nomination of Rep. Billy Long to serve as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, with Chairman Mike Crapo saying he will vote to favorably report the nomination and Ranking Member Ron Wyden urging colleagues to oppose it.
The dispute centers on Long’s fitness to lead the IRS and allegations explored by Finance Committee investigators. Sen. Mike Crapo, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said at the hearing that “Congressman Long clearly affirmed that all of his tax consulting work was as an independent contractor for Capital Edge Strategies” and praised Long’s written commitments and testimony about modernizing IRS systems and avoiding politicization.
Sen. Ron Wyden, the committee’s ranking member, said in contrast that Long lacks tax policy experience and described what Wyden called a pattern of conduct he said raised “too big” concerns to ignore. “If you genuinely believe in those priorities, you cannot vote for Billy Long’s nomination for the IRS commissioner,” Wyden said, recounting committee-reported evidence that he said showed Long promoted disputed tax-credit schemes and received campaign contributions tied to promoters.
Wyden summarized committee investigators’ findings and public reporting: he said promoters of a scheme tied to a company identified in press reporting as White River Energy described expecting favorable treatment at the IRS if Long were in charge, and that White River-affiliated donors gave roughly $165,000 to Long’s dormant Senate campaign after his nomination was announced, of which Wyden said Long personally received about $130,000. Wyden also said committee investigators read to Long an IRS-originated finding that the tribal tax credits he helped promote were fake, and that recordings obtained by staff included promoters saying they expected “special favors” if Long were confirmed.
Crapo said he was encouraged by Long’s written responses and his commitment that “the IRS will not and should not be politicized on my watch,” and said he would vote for the nomination. Wyden said other behavior — including promoting employee retention tax credits after they had expired, according to the ranking member — and letters Long wrote urging scrutiny of nonprofit groups further undercut Long’s suitability in Wyden’s view. Wyden closed by urging colleagues to find a nominee with both independence and tax-policy experience, and said he “strongly oppose[d]” Long’s nomination.
No final committee vote on Long’s nomination was recorded in the hearing. Chairman Crapo said members would be notified of a time and place to conduct a vote on Long’s nomination at a later date.
Why this matters: the IRS commissioner oversees tax administration for all U.S. taxpayers; questions about a nominee’s past work with tax promoters and campaign receipts were presented by the committee’s Democratic ranking member as bearing on independence and the agency’s credibility.
The committee recessed to hear other nominees after members’ statements.
