Hatch Applauds Senate Confirmation of IRS Commissioner

Nation’s Top Tax Administrator Confirmed Despite Partisan Political Objections

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today applauded Senate confirmation of Charles Rettig to be the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner. Despite initially receiving high accolades on both sides of the aisle, Rettig’s nomination stalled due to partisan objections regarding Treasury policies that did not involve the nominee.

“With the biggest tax overhaul in a generation on the books, it’s about time that the agency charged with administering our nation’s tax laws has a confirmed commissioner,” Hatch said. “From implementing tax reform so that Americans continue to benefit from increased growth, job creation and wages to restoring trust in an agency complicated by scandal and mistrust, Chuck has his work cut out for him. But, he has proven that he is qualified and ready for the challenge.

Hatch continued, “Often, I hear our friends on the other side of the aisle profess the need for efficient and competent tax administration, but their hold on Rettig’s nomination for purely political purposes flies in the face of that. The Democrats’ reasons for not supporting Rettig’s nomination were unreasonable. I am pleased that the Senate was able to act on Rettig’s nomination despite these baseless objections.”

Background: Opposition to Rettig was based on the Treasury Department’s decision to enhance taxpayer privacy protections by no longer requiring many tax-exempt groups to disclose sensitive donor information. Hatch spoke in support of this policy change, which was initially considered under the Obama administration, on the Senate floor earlier this year.

Other opponents have cited proposed regulations that would limit efforts to skirt tax reform’s cap on the state and local deduction – a deduction that has overwhelmingly benefited high-income tax payers.

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