Dem bill would require presidential nominees disclose 10 years of tax returns
House Democrats are planning to introduce legislation that would expand the number of tax returns presidential nominees would be required to disclose, congressional aides confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday.
A House Democratic aide with knowledge of the bill said that under the bill, known as H.R. 1, presidential and vice presidential candidates would be required to make public 10 years of tax returns within 15 days of becoming their party’s nominees. Earlier, Democrats had said the measure would require presidential candidates to disclose three years of returns.
{mosads}Congressional leaders typically reserve low bill numbers, like H.R. 1, for pieces of legislation they consider a top priority.
The legislation, which Democrats are planning to introduce early this year, is expected to include a host of provisions that would strengthen ethics laws and enforcement, facilitate voting and make campaign finance reforms.
CNN first reported on the expansion of the tax return disclosure provision.
While the GOP-controlled Senate is not expected to take up the package, the bill allows House Democrats to outline some of their top goals.
The legislation is not the only Democratic effort regarding presidential tax returns.
Incoming House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is expected to formally request President Trump’s tax returns from the Treasury Department by utilizing a provision of the tax code that allows chairmen of congressional tax committees to make such requests. Democrats are expecting the Trump administration will resist their request.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump became the first major-party presidential nominee to refuse to release his tax returns. Trump has said he won’t release his tax returns while they are under audit. However, the IRS has said audits don’t prohibit people from releasing their own tax information.
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