WASHINGTON —Former Missouri congressman Billy Long was ceremonially sworn in as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service on Friday in the Oval Office, taking over a beleaguered agency that he once sought to abolish and that has since been beset with steep staffing cuts and leadership turnover.

Lee Zeldin, who heads the Environmental Protection Agency, administered the oath of office while President Donald Trump looked on.

Long won confirmation in a 53-44 Senate vote last month despite concerns from Democrats about his connection to a tax credit scheme and campaign contributions he received after then President-elect Trump nominated him for the top IRS job in December.

Long’s commissionership comes after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year’s tax filing season. Tens of thousands of workers have voluntarily retired or been laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy.

— The Associated Press