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Floor Speech

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Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the confirmation of Congressman Billy Long, who is nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS is responsible for helping American taxpayers understand and meet their tax responsibilities, and enforcing the law with integrity and fairness.

However, the Agency has been plagued by inefficiencies, outdated systems, and low employee morale, despite an influx of funding.

At his confirmation hearing, Congressman Long pledged to refocus the IRS on its primary mission to collect Federal taxes and placed an emphasis on prioritizing IT modernization and improving customer service.

He also stated unequivocally that politicization has no place at the agency.

American taxpayers will benefit from these initiatives, and I look forward to working with Congressman Long to ensure they are implemented, if confirmed.

I also thank Congressman Long again for his time spent working through the Finance Committee's rigorous nomination process.

Despite accusations to the contrary, Congressman Long made clear in both verbal and written responses that he worked as an independent contractor when performing tax consulting work for Capitol Edge Strategies. He never worked at White River or anywhere else on Native American Tribal tax credits.

With respect to contributions made to his Senate campaign, Congressman Long has stated repeatedly that he followed Federal Election Commission guidelines.

I am confident that Congressman Long is equipped to lead the IRS as Commissioner. I encourage my colleagues to join me in advancing his nomination.

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