Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today announced that her guest for President Trump’s Address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 will be Jay “Smitty” Smith, a United States Navy veteran who was recently terminated from the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) when the Trump administration began laying off IRS workers last month, right at the start of tax season. 

“After taking office on January 20, Donald Trump handed the keys to our federal government to Elon Musk and unleashed a wave of chaos, upending people’s lives and livelihoods and disrupting critical government services which Americans depend upon,” said Rep. Scanlon. “As Trump comes to address a Joint Session of Congress, we expect him to cloak his radical plans in populist platitudes, as he pushes corporate giveaways and tax cuts for billionaires, while decimating Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and critical programs that American families count on. We have already seen the negative impact of Trump funding freezes and illegal firings on VA services, including its crisis hotline, and on veterans who make up a disproportionate share of the federal workforce. While Trump and Republicans back Elon Musk and their billionaire buddies, I will always have the backs of constituents and dedicated public servants like Jay ‘Smitty’ Smith, who represent the very best of our country.”

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS that works to ensure every taxpayer is treated fairly and understands their rights. TAS employees provide free assistance to taxpayers — helping to resolve issues with the IRS tied to financial hardship and problems resulting from the agency’s processes, systems, or procedures. TAS also makes recommendations regarding systemic changes at the IRS or in federal tax laws that could reduce challenges for American taxpayers. 

In his role at TAS, Smitty advocated for taxpayers with extenuating circumstances that impacted their tax liabilities, ability to pay, or ability to resolve complaints. He also worked to improve language access within TAS in order to provide taxpayer services to those with limited English proficiency. In addition, Smitty coordinated community outreach events — often in partnership with congressional offices, Low-Income Tax Clinics, and other community stakeholders — where TAS staff provided real-time personalized assistance to taxpayers in need.

“Leaders aren’t defined by titles; those who lead are defined by the real-life tools they use like mentorship and team building,” said Jay “Smitty” Smith. “Leaders understand that their teams are in fact their professional family, and when there is no sense of unity, there is no team.”

Smitty served for decades in the Navy, expanding his responsibilities throughout his military career. He began as a Radioman, then served as an Information Systems Technician, and went on to be part of various teams in Combat Systems and Damage Control. After retiring from the Navy, Smitty continued to support the U.S. military as an Integrated Logistics Support Technician for Noblis, MSD (formerly McKean Defense). While working full-time as a contractor, Smitty earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration (MBA), before joining the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Smitty was employed at the TAS office in Philadelphia from April 2024 until February 20, 2025. 

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