Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday announced he will vote against Daniel Werfel, President Biden’s choice to head the Internal Revenue Service, because he is unhappy with how the Biden administration is implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided nearly $80 billion in new funding for the tax enforcement agency.
Manchin is fuming mad over the administration’s implementation of the generous electric vehicle tax credits that were also included in the sweeping climate and tax reform bill passed last year.
“At every turn, this administration has ignored congressional intent when implementing the Inflation Reduction Act,” he said in statement, criticizing the administration’s decision to delay guidelines about who receives the EV tax credits.
“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,” he said.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on Werfel’s nomination late Wednesday afternoon and Democrats say he has enough support to win confirmation.
Six Republican senators voted to advance Werfel on a procedural vote held lunchtime Wednesday: Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
The Senate will hold a final confirmation vote on Werfel sometime after 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said he doesn’t know of any other Democrats who will vote against the IRS nominee.
But at least three Democrats are expected to miss the vote on Werfel because of health issues.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), was hospitalized last week with shingles, and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), admitted himself last month to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be treated for depression.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) announced on Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19 and will isolate himself at home until he recovers.
Manchin’s opposition to Werfel comes a day after he said he would vote against Biden’s nominee to sit on the Federal Communications Commission, Gigi Sohn.
Manchin said he couldn’t vote for her because she “faced unprecedented, bipartisan opposition to her nomination as a result of her years of partisan activism, inflammatory statements online, and partisan alliances with far-left groups.”
Sohn announced she would withdraw herself from consideration shortly after Manchin made his statement and said “unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks on my character and my career as an advocate for the public interest have taken an enormous toll on me and my family.”
Manchin on Wednesday also said he has “serious concerns” about Biden’s nominee to serve as assistant secretary of the Interior for land and minerals management.
Updated at 12:37 p.m.