Pascrell Condemns Republicans for Blocking Oversight of Trump Tax Returns

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, took to the floor of the House of Representatives today in support of legislation that would compel the release of Donald Trump’s tax returns. The bill was blocked by House Republicans on a vote of 226-189. One Republican congressman joined all Democrats in voting to allow the transparency bill to the floor.

“Yet again today Republicans have placed their political fortunes over the health and fitness of the Republic. We are drowning in evidence that Trump and his family are abusing the office to enrich themselves. Trump’s children are selling millions in properties to unknown buyers and seeking financial assistance from foreign governments to prop up failed investments. The Trump White House has let lobbyists with myriad conflicts of interest invade the government like termites. You need a life preserver to swim through the daily evidence of corruption,” said Rep. Pascrell.

“Louis Brandeis had it right when he observed that sunlight is the best disinfectant. Releasing Trump’s tax returns is such a simple and obvious step to provide a check on potential malfeasance in this administration. Democrats continue to call for oversight over this Administration’s conflicts of interest and corruption. By refusing our requests day after day, Republicans have been complicit in eroding our system of laws in the name of Donald Trump’s greed.”

Pascrell has led efforts in Congress to highlight Donald Trump’s continual refusal to release his tax returns. Since February 2017 he led the call for the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means to invoke Section 6103 of the tax code to obtain Trump’s tax returns. Republicans have voted 18 times to block Democratic resolutions seeking the tax returns.

A full timeline of Pascrell’s efforts is available here.