DEMS/GOP/TRUMP TAXES: “Lawmakers clashed today over House Democrats’ bid to seize President Donald Trump’s long-hidden tax returns, signaling the start of a battle that could consume the White House and Congress for months. In their first congressional hearing on the issue, Democrats said they intend to tap a rarely used law to force the release of Trump’s tax information, insisting they need it to help answer a host of questions about his finances…Republicans argued that would set a dangerous precedent that could allow lawmakers to release the confidential tax filings of not only the president, but others’ as well — such as those of the House speaker, members of Congress, federal employees or political donors…Democratic lawmakers called several tax experts to testify on the issue. The stated topic of the hearing was a portion of House Democrats’ ethics legislation, H.R. 1, that would require presidents, vice presidents and candidates for those posts to release their previous 10 years of tax returns. But that was quickly overshadowed by disagreement over Democrats’ efforts to get their hands on Trump’s tax returns using an existing law.”
–Brian Faler, “Democrats and Republicans go head-to-head over Trump’s tax returns,” Politico, February 7, 2019 6:49 pm