IRS Nominee Daniel Werfel Confirmed By Senate Vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate has confirmed Daniel Werfel to serve as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service by a vote of 54-to-42.

Werfel, who pledged before senators not to expand tax audits on businesses and households making less than $400,000 per year during his confirmation hearing, will serve a five-year term as leader of the federal tax collection agency.

Werfel will have to navigate controversy surrounding $80 billion in new funding for the agency, as critics have distorted how the new law would affect the IRS and taxes for the middle class.

About $46 billion was allocated for enforcing tax laws and the rest for taxpayer services, operations support and updated business systems.