July 31,2019

Grassley On Treasury, Tax Court Nominations Open Executive Session

Grassley On Treasury, Tax Court Nominations at Open Executive Session
Prepared Opening Remarks by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Finance Committee
Open Executive Session on Treasury, Tax Court Nominations
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
 
The purpose of this executive session is to report to the Senate the four nominees that this Committee heard testimony from last week. Since the hearing, the nominees responded to questions in writing from Members of the Committee. I intend to support all four nominees, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
 
Since his confirmation in August of 2017, Brent McIntosh has served as General Counsel for the Treasury Department.  He is now nominated to be Treasury Under Secretary for international Affairs. 
 
The pending nominee to replace Mr. McIntosh as General Counsel is Brian Callanan, who after a brief stint as Acting General Counsel currently serves as Deputy General Counsel.  Since tax reform was enacted at the end of 2017, at least 122 guidance provisions have been issued, and the Treasury Office of General Counsel has been a significant part of that process.  I appreciate all the work Mr. McIntosh and Mr. Callanan have put into the implementation of the tax reform bill.
 
The Committee also heard from Brian McGuire, nominated to be Treasury Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs.  As I noted in my opening statement last week, I hope Mr. McGuire’s lengthy service to Leader McConnell has instilled in him an appreciation for the importance of Congressional oversight and that he will work diligently to respond to letters from members of this Committee.
 
The final witness was Travis Greaves, nominated to a 15-year term on the U.S. Tax Court.  We have had a chance to learn about his qualifications in the private sector, as adjunct faculty at the Georgetown University Law Center, and as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice.  The Committee recently received a letter from the Tax Section of the Federal Bar Association discussing Mr. Greaves’s qualifications and stating “We fully support Mr. Greaves’s nomination and urge the Committee to swiftly approve his nomination.”  I ask unanimous consent that the full letter be printed in the record.
 
The nominees have responded to all the questions they were sent.  I think they have shown they are qualified for the positions to which they have been nominated, and I encourage their support.
 
Before I turn to the Ranking Member to give his statement, I want to note that in the event we are not able to hold the vote here this morning, the meeting will be postponed until a vote is scheduled on the Senate floor and the Committee will reconvene there as we have done on other occasions.
 

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