DPCC Co-Chair Hakeem Jeffries, Leader Pelosi and House Democrats Launch Discharge Petition Requiring President Trump to Release Tax Returns
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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy & Communications Committee (DPCC), today joined Democratic Leader Pelosi, Reps. Richard Neal (MA-1), Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Bill Pascrell (NJ-9), and House Democrats to launch a discharge petition to force a vote to release President Trump's long-promised tax returns.
The petition would require the U.S. House of Representatives to act on bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Eshoo (Presidential Tax Transparency Act) to require President Trump and all future presidents and nominees to disclose their tax returns to the American people.
"The American people overwhelmingly want to see President Trump's tax returns," said DPCC Co-Chair Jeffries. "Why should this president – a billionaire real estate mogul and reality TV show host – be held to a different standard than every president since Gerald Ford? He is a living, breathing conflict of interest. If any president should disclose his tax returns, it's Donald J. Trump. He came to Washington promising to drain the swamp, yet he has muddied the waters in a way that would make Richard Nixon proud."
Nearly three-quarters of Americans, including 50 percent of Trump's supporters, want the President to release his tax returns, according to a recent ABC/Washington Post poll.
The President's tax returns will provide a clearer picture of the President's financial interests, including ties to Russia and China, and possible conflicts of interest, including from his annual income. After Watergate, all presidents, Republicans and Democrats, have released either their individual tax returns or summary tax data.
A "Demand A Vote" petition or discharge petition requires 218 signatures of Members of the House of Representatives in order to force a vote on the U.S. House floor.