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Senate Finance Committee hears praise for David Johnson but some members defer support until incoming Congress
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Summary
The Senate Finance Committee heard opening statements endorsing David Johnson for inspector general for tax administration, while Senator Crapo said he would not support the nomination today to allow the incoming Congress and administration to review the appointment; the committee recessed to reconvene off the Senate floor for a vote after the first roll call at 11:30 AM in the President's Room (219).
The Senate Finance Committee met to consider the nomination of David Johnson to serve as Inspector General for Tax Administration at the Department of the Treasury. The committee's chairman described Johnson as a "nonpartisan, down-the-middle" nominee with experience at the Department of Veterans Affairs and in federal prosecution, and said he "strongly support[s] his nomination."
The chairman outlined Johnson's background, saying Johnson currently serves as assistant inspector general for investigations at the Department of Veterans Affairs and previously worked as a federal prosecutor, including several years as assistant chief in the fraud section of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and as an assistant U.S. attorney and health care fraud coordinator in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The chairman argued that independent oversight of the Internal Revenue Service is important to protect taxpayer dollars and that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) plays a key role in identifying waste, fraud and abuse and providing nonpartisan oversight to both the public and the committee.
Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised Johnson's qualifications and oversight experience and said he was encouraged by Johnson's stated commitment to distinguish allegations of waste, fraud and abuse from policy disagreements and to protect taxpayer information from political use. But Crapo said the timing of the nomination weighed on his position: with the new Congress and administration set to take office soon, he said those incoming officials should have the opportunity to evaluate the appointment. "Therefore, today, I will not be able to support mister Johnson's nomination," Crapo said, while adding he looks forward to working with Johnson if the nominee is confirmed.
There was no recorded roll-call vote during the meeting. The chairman said that if a quorum was not present the committee would recess and reconvene off the Senate floor to vote following the Senate's first roll call vote at 11:30 AM in the President's Room (room 219). "Without objection, it is so ordered, the committee stands in recess," the chairman said.
The next formal step is the off-floor reconvening for the nomination vote after the Senate's first roll call vote, at which point any recorded vote would be taken. The committee did not vote during the recorded session.
