Upon reports President Biden will nominate Daniel Werfel to serve as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Ways and Means Republican Leader Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) issued the following statement:

“As with any nominee, it’s important to keep an open mind. However, Daniel Werfel was named Acting IRS Commissioner in 2013 with the goal of restoring credibility and confidence in the IRS after the agency’s shameful targeting of conservative groups. He didn’t succeed in 2013 and I’m concerned about whether he can succeed in 2023 and beyond.

“Unfortunately, the American people still do not have faith in the agency after years of political targeting, poor customer service, and failed policies. Today, middle-class earners are rightly concerned they’ll be under heightened scrutiny from an army of auditors, that their private information could become public, and that their bank could be turned into a local chapter of the IRS. 

“To gain support for his nomination Mr. Werfel will need to address several key questions: (1) How will he obtain the confidential taxpayer information that comprised last year’s massive criminal leak to ProPublica? (2) Does he support President Biden’s dangerous plan to surveil American bank accounts? (3) Will he cooperate with congressional oversight efforts, such as the pending requests related to the continuing large tax return backlog, Child Tax Credit administration, and the agency’s suspicious solicitation of millions of additional tax credit claims right before an election, among many others?

 “Addressing these and many other questions will be essential for Mr. Werfel to demonstrate that he is the right choice to restore confidence in the IRS.”