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Deputy Secretary Adeyemo to highlight Biden-Harris economic agenda, the free IRS Direct File pilot, and efforts to combat fentanyl

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, March 21, and Friday, March 22, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo will travel to Dallas, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona for a series of events focused on increasing economic opportunity in communities across the United States. On March 21, in Dallas, the Deputy Secretary will participate in the International Leadership Summit and highlight the free IRS Direct File pilot program, which is now open to taxpayers in Texas and 11 other states. He will then travel to Phoenix, Arizona, where on Friday, March 22, he will make a major announcement on new actions the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl and meet with Latino community leaders to discuss how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is increasing access to federal assistance in Latino and other underserved communities.

Thursday, March 21^th (CT)

At 8:00 AM CT, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will participate in a fireside conversation with Bishop T.D. Jakes and community and faith-based partners at the International Leadership Conference. During the conversation, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies have driven a historic economic recovery and landmark legislation including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act are creating good-paying jobs, lowering costs, and expanding economic opportunity. The meeting is open to pre-credentialed media.

Following the fireside conversation, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will participate in a roundtable with faith leaders facilitated by Chairman T.D. Jakes to learn about the challenges and opportunities in local communities and discuss how to ensure federal programs reach communities in need. This event is closed press.

At 2:00 PM CT, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo, community leaders, and a Texan who has filed their taxes for free using the IRS’ new Direct File tool will deliver remarks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will provide an update on significant interest from Texans in using Direct File. An estimated 3.8 million taxpayers in Texas, and 19 million taxpayers across the 12 pilot states are potentially eligible to file their taxes for free directly with the IRS this Filing Season. The remarks are open press. Media interested in covering this event should RSVP to Haris.Talwar@Treasury.gov. 

Friday, March 22^nd (MST)

At 9:00 AM, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will announce at the IRS-Criminal Investigations Phoenix office major new actions that the Treasury Department is taking to combat the flow of fentanyl into Arizona and the United States. This effort comes as part of Treasury’s Counter Fentanyl Strike Force and the Biden-Harris Administration strategy to combat the illicit fentanyl trade that claims the lives of thousands of Americans each year. He will speak alongside U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Gary Restaino, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. Media interested in covering this event should RSVP to Grady.Thomson@Treasury.gov.

Following the press conference, at 9:30 AM at the same location, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will participate in a roundtable hosted by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on countering fentanyl. This roundtable will bring together Treasury officials, local elected leadership, law enforcement professionals, and the private sector to share information and best practices, and follows several similar recent fentanyl-related FinCEN Exchanges. Opening remarks from Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will be open to the press; the remainder of the meeting is closed press.

At 12:00 PM, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will participate in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Raza Development Fund with Latino community leaders to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase economic opportunity in Latino communities. Raza Development Fund has been a recipient of several awards from the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), which invests in financial institutions with a track record of delivering capital to Latino and other underserved communities and businesses. Through the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP), the Treasury Department has invested $1.6 billion in Latino-owned and Latino-majority shareholder depository institutions. Based on preliminary analysis, the Department projects that investments across the entire ECIP portfolio may increase lending in Latino communities by nearly $58 billion over the next decade. This event is closed press.

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