IRS commissioner nomination advances amid debate over $80 billion agency funding

The Senate Finance Committee this week voted to beforehand Daniel Werfel's nomination to go IRS commissioner amid fierce statement implicit the agency's $80 cardinal successful funding. 

Following a confirmation hearing connected Feb. 15, the bipartisan committee ballot was the last measurement earlier a afloat Senate ballot for confirmation.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said Werfel's February grounds demonstrated he's a "rule follower" who volition enactment with "both sides of the Committee."  

"He's going to spell through, I believe, successful a substance of weeks," said Mark Everson, a erstwhile IRS commissioner and existent vice president astatine Alliantgroup, noting determination is enactment from some sides of the aisle. 

"There's a large woody of contention astir the due relation of the IRS and taxation medication successful presumption of its relation connected wealthiness organisation and a big of different issues," helium said. "But there's statement that you request a competent, accountable commissioner moving this captious organ of authorities — and Danny Werfel is that person."

Prior to Werfel's relation astatine Boston Consulting Group, helium served President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush arsenic the IRS acting commissioner and Office of Management and Budget controller.

The Senate Finance Committee ballot comes amid continued scrutiny of the $80 cardinal successful IRS backing allocated successful August done the Inflation Reduction Act.

After months of disapproval, House Republicans successful January voted to rescind the funding. But without enactment from the Democrat-controlled Senate oregon the White House, the measure was mostly seen arsenic governmental messaging.

And a radical of House Republicans successful January revisited the Fair Tax Act, which aimed to regenerate definite national levies with a nationalist income taxation and to decentralize the IRS. But argumentation experts accidental the just taxation has ne'er been a mainstream idea.

In February, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee shared oversight priorities, with the $80 cardinal IRS backing "at the apical of the list," according to president Jason Smith, R-Mo.  

Meanwhile, the IRS missed the six-month deadline to taxable a program for the backing connected Feb. 17, arsenic requested by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen successful August. Her priorities focused connected payer service, specified arsenic clearing the backlog of unprocessed taxation returns, boosting lawsuit service, overhauling exertion and hiring workers.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, connected Thursday spoke astir the missed deadline during his opening statement, noting that it's "not inspiring erstwhile it comes to regaining the assurance of the American people."

However, Everson believes the hold is an intentional prime from the agency.

"It would lone muddy the waters due to the fact that it would perchance springiness emergence to different circular of questions for the nominee," helium said.