Senate confirms Werfel to lead agency

The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Biden’s nominee to lead the Internal Revenue Service at a time when the tax agency has tens of billions of dollars earmarked to revitalize its sagging operations.

Daniel Werfel, 51, won confirmation in a 54-42 vote. Six Republicans crossed party lines to support him, while one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin III ( W.VA.), opposed the nomination. Manchin said he had “zero faith” that the Biden administration would give Werfel “the autonomy to perform the job in accordance with the law.”

Werfel will enter an agency that has not seen a meaningful upgrade to its technology in decades. The Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate, health-care and tax law, designated $80 billion over 10 years for the IRS to increase enforcement on wealthy taxpayers and corporations, revitalize its operations and modernize its technology.

Werfel’s foremost task will be to decide how to allocate that funding while guiding the agency through tax-filing season.