Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee blocked a Democratic effort to force President Trump to submit 10 years worth of tax returns to Congress for lawmakers to review and possibly publicize.
Democrats led by Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., brought up a “resolution of inquiry” in the committee on Tuesday, which would force the committee to use a law that lets the Treasury Department compel anyone to divulge their tax returns to Congress.
But Republicans shot down the resolution in a 24-16 party line vote.
Democrats used the debate to argue that Trump’s tax returns would help reveal his possibly inappropriate business connections while he holds the highest elected office in the land. Democrats noted that Trump has entertained foreign officials at resorts that he owns, and that voters have no way of understanding how he might still be benefiting from those ties.
Republicans rejected those arguments and said the effort to release Trump’s tax returns wouldn’t reveal any information of that sort.
“You’re rattling off about things that would never be found on a tax return,” Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, a former accountant, told Pascrell. Proof that Trump received payments from Russian oligarchs or violated trademark laws would not be listed on his or his company’s tax returns.
“Tax returns do not list investments,” he continued. Such information is included in politician’s personal financial disclosure forms, which Trump filed, Renacci said.
“That’s how I know this is just a political push,” because “most of what he wants would never be found there.”
“For you to accuse me of doing this for political reasons, you are 110 percent wrong,” retorted Pascrell, who has also taken to the House floor to push the issue.
Pascrell and other Democrats have taken weekly turns on the House floor to try and force the full House to vote on the matter. As the Ways and Means Committee considered Pascrell’s motion, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., unsuccessfully sought another “point of privilege” on the House floor.
When asked how many times Democrats will ask for Trump’s taxes, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., said they would try until Trump complies.
“I’ll vote to see any president’s tax forms who doesn’t voluntarily do so when running,” Thompson said.
Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., said it “behooves” Trump to turn over the documents before Republicans undertake overhauling the country’s tax code in earnest.
“He’ll be directly involved in the negotiations of what that final bill is going to look like” and voters will wonder if the billionaire has ensured the law will benefit him, Kind said.
