1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

The president's nomination of Billy Long to lead the IRS raises significant concerns. As a former member of Congress, Long co-sponsored bills aimed at abolishing the IRS and eliminating key taxes like the income tax and estate tax. His rhetoric and legislative efforts demonstrate a fundamental opposition to the agency's core mission and the federal tax system. Appointing someone with an avowed goal of dismantling the IRS to serve as its commissioner would undermine the integrity and effectiveness of this critical institution. The IRS plays a vital role in funding government operations and services through tax collection and enforcement. Recent investments have enabled the agency to crack down on tax evasion by wealthy individuals and corporations, recovering over $1 billion in past-due taxes. Putting the IRS under the leadership of someone who has actively sought to abolish it risks crippling its ability to fulfill its mandate and ensure a fair and functional tax system. This nomination threatens to turn the IRS into a "grifter's paradise," as described, by gutting enforcement and creating opportunities for tax avoidance on an unprecedented scale. For the sake of preserving this essential agency and the integrity of the federal tax system, I urge you to reject this misguided nomination. The IRS commissioner should be someone committed to upholding the agency's mission and the principle of equal taxation, not an ideological opponent determined to defund and dismantle it from within.