Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senate Republicans Advancing The Nomination Of Billy Long To Be Commissioner Of The IRS

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Senate Republicans voting to advance the nomination of Billy Long to be IRS Commissioner, laying out that this nominee is not independent, qualified or free of scandal. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today, Senate Republicans will vote to advance a hard-right, MAGA, ideological tax fraud, Billy Long, to be Commissioner of the IRS.

Mr. Long at the IRS would be a gut punch to the American taxpayer.

It’s clear to anyone with a pulse that Mr. Long was only selected to run the IRS because of his longtime fealty to Donald Trump.

We all know that Donald Trump prioritizes loyalty over experience in his administration. But even by the president’s standards, Mr. Long is a shockingly bad nominee.

Ideally, at the very least, you want the person in charge of collecting federal taxes to be independent, qualified, and free of scandal.

When it comes to independent, qualified, and free of scandal, Mr. Long is zero for three. He is neither independent nor qualified nor clean from scandal.

His only quality of the job is fealty to Donald Trump.

During his time in Congress, Mr. Long didn’t amass any credible tax experience.

He didn’t serve on the Ways and Means Committee, never authored a single original piece of tax legislation.

Instead, he advocated for the IRS to investigate his political opponents.

And after leaving Congress, Mr. Long lined his pockets in the tax scam industry, where he peddled fake tax credits and took advantage of small businesses.

The American people don’t want the IRS to be run by a tax cheat.

They don’t want the IRS to be motivated by politics.

They don’t want an IRS that only looks out for the ultra-wealthy and large corporations.

So, the Senate should reject Mr. Long’s nomination.

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