Billy Long Bio
William Hollis Long II, known publicly as Billy Long, is an American politician and auctioneer born on August 11, 1955, in Springfield, Missouri. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Missouri’s 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2023. Before entering politics he built a career as a professional auctioneer, founded Billy Long Auctions, and hosted a talk radio show on Springfield station KWTO.
In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Long to serve as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. He was confirmed by the United States Senate in June 2025 and sworn in shortly afterward, serving as the 51st commissioner of internal revenue until his removal in August 2025. He was nominated in January 2026 to serve as United States Ambassador to Iceland.
Early Life and Background
William Hollis Long II was born in Springfield, Missouri, on August 11, 1955, and is a fourth-generation native of the state. He grew up in Springfield and graduated from the K-12 Greenwood Laboratory School in 1973. His upbringing in the Ozarks region shaped his early interest in public speaking, performance, and small-business entrepreneurship, interests that would later define his auction career.
After high school, Long attended the University of Missouri from 1973 to 1976, although he did not complete a degree. He then enrolled in the Missouri Auction School in Kansas City, graduating in 1979 with formal auction training. In 1983, he earned a professional designation from the Certified Auctioneers Institute, hosted at Indiana University Bloomington, completing the credentials that launched his lifelong career in the auction industry.
Path to US Politics
Long founded Billy Long Auctions, LLC, in 1979 and operated the firm for more than three decades, earning recognition as the Best Auctioneer in the Ozarks for seven consecutive years. In 2009, he was inducted into the Missouri Professional Auctioneers’ Association Hall of Fame, and in 2016 he was inducted into the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame. He also worked as a part-time realtor and a talk radio host on KWTO in Springfield, giving him a strong local profile across southwest Missouri.
Long entered the 2010 race for Missouri’s 7th congressional district after incumbent Roy Blunt launched a campaign for the United States Senate. The seat covered much of southwestern Missouri, including Springfield, Branson, and Joplin, and was considered the most Republican district in the state. In a crowded seven-way Republican primary that functioned as the de facto general election, Long won with 36 percent of the vote, setting the stage for his move to Washington, D.C.
Billy Long Career
Early Career (2011-2014)
Billy Long was sworn in to the United States House of Representatives in 2011 and was assigned to the Energy and Commerce Committee, on which he served throughout his entire tenure in Congress. During his first year he co-sponsored the Fair Tax Act of 2011, a bill designed to replace the income tax and estate tax with a national retail sales tax. He was re-elected in 2012 and in 2014, when he defeated Marshall Works in the Republican primary with 62.4 percent of the vote.
Throughout these early terms, Long focused on tax reform, energy policy, and healthcare accountability. In 2014, he introduced the Taxpayer Transparency Act, a bill requiring federal agencies to label promotional material as paid for by taxpayers. The measure was a direct response to a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign by the Department of Health and Human Services promoting the Affordable Care Act.
Breakthrough (2015-2018)
Long continued to rise as a vocal advocate for replacing the federal income tax with a consumption-based system, co-sponsoring the Fair Tax Act in 2015 and again in 2017. The bill sought to phase out all Internal Revenue Service funding and abolish the agency by 2019, replacing the income tax with a 23 percent national retail sales tax administered primarily by the states. During this period, Long also advanced legislation on abortion, gun rights, and religious liberty.
He was re-elected in 2016 after winning a contested Republican primary, and in 2018 he defeated Democratic nominee Jamie Schoolcraft in the general election. During a September 2018 House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing on alleged anti-conservative bias on social media, Long famously performed a mock auction chant as activist Laura Loomer was escorted out of the room, an incident that generated laughter and widespread attention online.
Republican Era (2019-2023)
Long was re-elected in 2020 after again winning the Republican primary in Missouri’s 7th district. He continued to serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he advocated for affordable energy access, supported offshore oil drilling, and called for sanctions on Russian oil following the invasion of Ukraine. He earned an A rating from the National Rifle Association of America and a strong record of pro-gun votes throughout his tenure.
In December 2021, Long was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the emperor of Japan in recognition of his contributions to bilateral relations and legislative exchanges between Japan and the United States. In August 2021 he announced a campaign for the 2022 United States Senate election in Missouri to succeed Roy Blunt, joining a crowded Republican field. He finished fourth in the primary with 5 percent of the vote, ending his twelve-year career in the House of Representatives.
Notable Events and Milestones
Long’s congressional career included twelve consecutive years in the House, longer than any Internal Revenue Service commissioner since at least 1900. He co-sponsored multiple iterations of the Fair Tax Act, repeatedly voted to abolish the Internal Revenue Service, and was a prominent early supporter of Donald Trump, claiming to have coined the phrase getting on the Trump train. His most memorable moment came during the 2018 Energy and Commerce hearing, when his mock auction chant interrupted activist Laura Loomer’s outburst and became a viral clip.
Billy Long Career Wins
Billy Long compiled a record of seven consecutive victories in Missouri’s 7th congressional district, never losing a general election during his twelve years in the House. He was repeatedly endorsed by the National Rifle Association of America, inducted into both the Missouri Professional Auctioneers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2009 and the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame in 2016, and in 2021 received the Order of the Rising Sun from Japan in recognition of his diplomatic contributions.
Congressional Election Highlights
Long first won his seat in 2010 with 36 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, then went on to win seven general elections across the deeply Republican 7th district. He defeated Marshall Works in the 2014 primary with 62.4 percent of the vote and fended off multiple challengers in subsequent cycles, including Nathan Clay, Jim Evans, and Eric Harleman. His final congressional victory came in 2020, after which he launched an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate in 2022.
Other Wins and Achievements
Before entering politics, Long was named Best Auctioneer in the Ozarks for seven straight years and earned induction into the Missouri Professional Auctioneers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2009 and the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame in 2016. He also received the Order of the Rising Sun in December 2021 from the emperor of Japan for his work strengthening legislative ties between the United States and Japan.
| Position | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. House of Representatives, Missouri’s 7th congressional district | 7 | 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 |
Billy Long Family
Family Background and Auction Lineage
William Hollis Long II was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, and is a fourth-generation native of the state. His deep roots in southwest Missouri shaped his long career as an auctioneer and broadcaster in the region, where he operated Billy Long Auctions, LLC for more than three decades and became a familiar voice on local radio.
Personal Life
Billy Long has been married to Barbara Long since 1984. The couple has resided in Springfield, Missouri, throughout his career in business, broadcasting, and public service. Long is a member of the First and Calvary Presbyterian Church in Springfield, and his longstanding ties to the community remain central to his public identity.