Topic: Billy Long

Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long has been selected to lead the Internal Revenue Service. Long, a professional auctioneer, famously used his auction-calling skills during a 2018 House hearing to drown out a protester. His appointment is viewed as a signal that the Trump administration intends to bring a different, perhaps more theatrical, approach to tax agency leadership.

During Jack Dorsey's testimony, activist Laura Loomer stood up to protest alleged conservative censorship. In a viral moment, Congressman Billy Long, a former professional auctioneer, began a mock auction chant to drown out her shouting. The tactic successfully lightened the mood of the hearing as Loomer was escorted out by security.