A pair of House Democrats, now with a majority in the lower chamber, introduced legislation Wednesday that would force President Trump to release his tax returns.
The bill would would require sitting presidents and vice presidents, and major-party nominees for those offices, to make public their 10 most recent federal income tax returns.
Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., called the expectation of a tax return release by people in the highest levels of the federal government a “low bar.”
“Being able to scrutinize the tax returns of a man or woman seeking to occupy the most powerful position on earth is a low bar, and one that candidates long abided by until 2016,” he said in a statement. “Americans have a right to know if their president is a crook. Imposing this requirement will ensure that transparency and ethical behavior are minimum requirements for any presidential candidate.”
The other Democrat who introduced the legislation, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said there is “vital information” for the public in these tax returns.
“Tax returns contain vital information for voters and the public, including whether an individual has paid any taxes; whether they made charitable donations; and whether they took advantage of tax loopholes or offshore tax shelters,” she said.
Trump has denied repeated requests to release his tax returns since first announcing he was running for president in 2015.
