Oversight Dems want vote on Trump tax return bill

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are calling for a vote on a bill that would force President Trump and all future presidents to release their tax returns.

In a letter to Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), ranking member Elijah Cummings and the panel’s other Democrats ask that the committee get a vote on the Presidential Tax Transparency Act.

“Of course, we support requiring future presidents to disclose their tax returns, but exempting President Trump from this requirement makes no sense at all — especially since every previous president for the past four decades has voluntarily disclosed his tax returns,” the letter said.

{mosads}The letter references several Republican lawmakers who have joined Democrats in calling on Trump to release his tax returns, including Reps. Mark Sanford (S.C.) and Justin Amash (Mich.).

The letter, which says the chairman has not placed the legislation on meeting agendas despite calls from Democrats to do so, asks that the bill be added to a markup on May 2.

“Given all the developments that have occurred since we wrote to you in March, we respectfully request that you add H.R. 305 to the agenda for this markup,” the letter adds.

The latest call from Democrats for a vote comes the same day Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Trump has no plans to disclose his tax returns. 

“The president has no intention — the president has released plenty of information and I think has given more financial disclosure than anybody else,” Mnuchin said Wednesday during a White House briefing.

“I think the American population has plenty of information.”

Trump during his campaign refused to release his returns, breaking with years of political tradition.

The administration said last week that Trump had not released is tax returns for 2016 because as a new president, they are currently under audit.