Long tells Senate Finance Committee he will prioritize IRS modernization, customer service and a review of direct‑file
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Summary
Representative Billy Long told senators he will push for IT modernization, produce a written modernization plan, travel to IRS offices, and review the agency's direct‑file program. Senators pressed him on restoring taxpayer advocate staffing and improving phone service.
Representative Billy Long told the Senate Finance Committee he would prioritize technology upgrades and customer service if confirmed as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, committing to write down a comprehensive modernization plan and to spend time meeting with front‑line employees.
Long told the panel he would “arrive 90 minutes before the office opens every single day” so employees could meet with him, and he repeatedly framed culture change as essential to improving taxpayer interactions. Senator Young pressed Long for a written modernization plan; Long answered “Yes. I want to be held accountable on all of this” when asked whether he would put a plan to paper.
Why it matters: Senators and multiple witnesses said outdated IT and poor customer service are long‑standing problems at the IRS. Committee members cited higher call wait times, delays in refunds and reductions in Taxpayer Advocate Service staffing as concrete examples of degraded service. Senator Hasson and others asked whether Long would reverse cuts and strengthen local advocate offices; Long said he would “advocate for those people” where within his power.
Direct file and privacy: Several senators raised the direct‑file program, which some on the committee want paused or terminated. Long said he would review the program early in his tenure — “one of the first things that I want to look at” — and would weigh the needs of IRS employees and taxpayers. On taxpayer privacy, Long said he would “follow the law” and emphasized protection of taxpayer data, referencing Section 6103 of the tax code when pressed on confidentiality.
Modernization approach and oversight: Long told senators he would look to private‑sector practices and to other agencies' procurement models when feasible. He acknowledged past procurement and modernization programs ran over budget and underperformed, and told Senator Grassley and others he would seek to avoid repeating those mistakes by learning from successful private‑sector deployments and committing to a transparent plan.
What the committee will watch: Senators asked for written commitments and timelines. Senator Young extracted Long's yes to a commitment to develop a written modernization roadmap; other senators signaled they will press for specifics on deployment timelines, procurement approaches and measures of success.
