IRS nominee confirmed by Senate in 54-42 vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate last week confirmed Daniel Werfel to serve as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service by a vote of 54-42 on Thursday.
Werfel, who pledged before senators not to expand tax audits on businesses and households making less than $400,000 per year, will serve a five-year term as leader of the federal tax-collection agency.
The approval came after the Senate agreed a day earlier to move to a final vote on Werfel’s nomination, with six Republicans breaking party ranks to back him and a lone Democrat, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, voting against him.
“While Daniel Werfel is supremely qualified to serve as the IRS Commissioner, I have zero faith he will be given the autonomy to perform the job in accordance with the law and for that reason, I cannot support his nomination,” Manchin said in a statement.
President Joe Biden nominated Werfel to steer the IRS as it receives nearly $80 billion over the next 10 years through the Inflation Reduction Act, which Congress passed in August along party lines.
Previously a private consultant who led Boston Consulting Group’s global public sector practice, Werfel faced rounds of questions before the Senate Finance Committee in February on how he would spend the agency’s new infusion of money.
He drew praise for being willing to leave a private consulting job to take on the top job at the troubled agency.
IRS officials say the new money is already being put to use — announcing Wednesday that the agency has expanded its digital scanning capabilities.