Faulkender’s nomination cleared Finance Committee, Long meets with senators

In the Senate, Michael Faulkender, President Trump’s choice to serve as the deputy Treasury secretary in the new administration, cleared the Finance Committee on March 14 when it voted to recommend his confirmation by a vote of 14-13. (For prior coverage, see Tax News & Views, Vol. 26, No. 10, March 7, 2025.)

Faulkender told the Finance Committee last week that the first Trump administration’s “enactment [of] pro-growth policies through tax reform” was one of its many successes that contributed to building a thriving economy. He also stated that “we must recommit ourselves to being the best place in the world to start new businesses, build new factories, and research groundbreaking new technologies by reprivatizing the economy, shrinking the regulatory overreach…slashing the inflationary spending, making pro-growth tax reform permanent, and rebalancing trade arrangements.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) endorsed Dr. Faulkender’s nomination and said that his “years of public and private sector experience in addition to strong academic credentials” make him highly qualified for the position.

As to issues related to the Department of Government Efficiency’s recent actions, he stated that his “colleagues received responses to their inquiries on Department of Government Efficiency-related work at Treasury and the IRS and, if confirmed, Mr. Faulkender pledges to provide a briefing on the Treasury payment systems.”

Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), for his part, said that one of the reasons he will not support Dr. Faulkender’s nomination was due to his current and previous work in a Trump administration.

“For somebody who’s a veteran of the first Trump administration and who’s been working in the Treasury building since January 21, Dr. Faulkender did a whole lot of dodging and weaving when it came to the damage Trump and Musk are doing, he said.”

“He dodged questions on the DOGE infiltration of the Treasury Department…He dodged questions about rumored plans to slash the IRS workforce and gut billionaire tax enforcement…”

A vote by the full Senate has not been scheduled yet.

Happenings at the IRS

In other news, the nominee for IRS Commissioner, former Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.), has been speaking with congressional lawmakers this past week in advance of a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his nomination. President Trump nominated Long for the position even though the current commissioner at the time, Danny Werfel, who was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023, had not completed his full five-year term at the agency. (For prior coverage on Long’s nomination, see Tax News & Views, Vol. 25, No. 32, Dec. 6, 2024.)

After meeting with the nominee, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) made a statement that focused on Long’s experience and vision for the agency.

“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Billy today to hear his vision for improving taxpayer services and creating an efficient, transparent and accountable IRS. As a former Congressman, Billy is well-liked and respected by colleagues, and his decades of real-world experience as a small business owner will serve him well in this role,” Crapo said. “He is a staunch advocate for taxpayers and I look forward to considering his nomination before the Finance Committee.”

If confirmed, Long would be the fourth person to head the agency this year. Werfel stepped down from the role on January 17, at which time Doug O’Donnell became the Acting Commissioner until his retirement from the IRS at the end of February after almost 40 years of government service. The current Acting Commissioner is Melanie Krause.

The Senate Finance Committee has not scheduled a hearing to consider Long’s nomination yet. It will likely be sometime before the nominee testifies at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee as his paperwork, which is part of the vetting process, has not been received by members of the committee. A Wyden spokesperson told Politico this week that his office had been contacted about a possible meeting with Long, however, “as a matter of policy,” the ranking member does not meet with nominees until he has reviewed their documentation.

Chief Counsel: President Trump is expected to appoint Andrew De Mello, a current chief counsel attorney, as the acting IRS chief counsel and the third person to hold the top position in the IRS’ legal office this year. He will replace William Paul, who took over the position when Marjorie Rollinson resigned on January 17.

Marjorie Rollinson, the 49th IRS Chief Counsel and first woman to permanently hold the post, announced her intention to retire at a George Washington University tax conference panel on December 13, as initially reported by Bloomberg Tax. (For prior coverage, see Tax News & Views, Vol. 25, No. 34, Dec. 20, 2024.)

The chief counsel, who is appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the chief legal advisor to the IRS Commissioner on all matters relating to the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of the tax code, including playing a key role in developing guidance and regulations on enacted tax legislation.

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