Senate Democrats question IRS chief over staffing testimony

Senate Democrats are pressing IRS chief Frank Bisignano to explain whether his congressional testimony on agency staffing conflicted with internal warnings and reported hiring efforts at the tax authority. The inquiry follows personnel reductions that left the Internal Revenue Service with more than 31,000 fewer employees as of January 2026, according to the agency’s inspector general.

In a letter sent late Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and more than a dozen Democratic colleagues alleged that Bisignano’s statements to Congress may not match the agency’s operational position. The lawmakers cited his March testimony that he felt good about the number of IRS employees and his April denial before the Senate Finance Committee that the agency was understaffed.

The Democrats pointed to recent reporting that the IRS has been moving to accelerate hiring. They also cited a NOTUS report on an internal memo seeking expedited hiring authority because staffing shortages could put the 2026 filing season at risk.

Expedited hiring authority can allow a federal agency to fill positions more quickly than standard civil service procedures permit, typically when officials identify urgent operational needs. The lawmakers asked Bisignano whether reports of the IRS seeking such authority were accurate and whether he knew of, or reviewed, the internal memo before testifying to Congress.

“New reporting suggests that the IRS understood the need for more agency staff, despite your public assertions to the contrary,” the Democrats wrote. They added that the discrepancy required an explanation and cited federal penalties for knowingly and willfully making materially false statements to Congress.

The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to CNBC.

Inspector general warned of operational risk

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said in a June report that staffing had contributed to delays at the IRS. The report said many departing employees had experience, institutional knowledge and technical expertise that could not be replaced easily.

The inspector general also said it had warned the IRS commissioner in a 2026 filing season memorandum that the agency faced elevated operational risks because of staffing shortages, delayed hiring and significant backlogs. Inventories awaiting processing, including amended returns and taxpayer correspondence, had increased significantly, the report said.

The staffing debate follows federal workforce cuts tied to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency during the Trump administration. Bisignano has said adoption of new technologies is helping fill the gap, according to CNBC.

Warren’s letter was also signed by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Peter Welch of Vermont and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, among others.

The lawmakers asked Bisignano to explain the basis for telling Congress there was no staffing shortage while the agency was reportedly seeking hiring authority because of a critical hiring need.

Broader scrutiny of Bisignano

The letter adds to scrutiny of Bisignano, who also serves as commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that he had used security authority to monitor former colleagues at JPMorgan Chase and access sensitive information. Bisignano denied the report, according to CNBC.

In his government roles, Bisignano oversees agencies that hold extensive confidential data on Americans, including tax and benefit information. The Democrats’ letter focuses on whether Congress received an accurate account of IRS capacity at a time when filing-season performance, taxpayer correspondence and backlogged returns remain under review by the agency’s watchdog.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.