The Senate on March 8 agreed by a vote of 51-44 to end debate on the nomination of Daniel Werfel to be Commissioner of the IRS, setting up a final vote for confirmation later in the evening.
Senator Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, was the only Democrat to vote against the nomination, citing his objections to the Treasury’s implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (PL 117-169). “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,” said Manchin.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said off the Senate floor that he believed Werfel would have the votes for final confirmation.
Six Senate Republicans voted in the affirmative, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Charles Grassley of Iowa, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Todd Young of Indiana.
The relatively close vote was attributable to several Democratic absences due to health issues. Senators Dianne Feinstein of California, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Tom Carper of Delaware are all out with various ailments and were not expected for the final vote. Three other Democrats also missed the earlier nomination vote: Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Ben Cardin of Maryland, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
Werfel was nominated by President Biden November 10, 2022, following former Commissioner Chuck Rettig’s departure from the agency. The nomination is for a five-year term that expires November 12, 2027. Doug O’Donnell has served in an acting capacity to bridge the gap between permanent appointees.
Werfel has been employed by the Boston Consulting Group since 2014, where he has led the firm’s public sector practice. He previously served as acting IRS commissioner in 2013, appointed by President Obama.
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