Jimmy Panetta: “Let me start off by expressing my gratitude for Chairman Neal, for his seriousness, his sincerity, and his solemnity in…”

“Let me start off by expressing my gratitude for Chairman Neal, for his seriousness, his sincerity, and his solemnity in his leadership in the Ways and Means Committee and in the way he conducted this request and release of the former President's tax returns and the writing of this legislation before us. Because of him, throughout this odyssey, the members of the Ways and Means Committee always knew and felt the gravity, the implications of what it meant to release an individual's tax returns. In fact, prior to this weekend, which was prior to my review of the former President's tax returns, I admit, I had no intent on voting to release them. However, that changed. That changed once we were able to obtain the returns, based on a valid legislative purpose and confirmed by the Supreme Court, go through the returns, and see the complete failure of the IRS when it comes to their Presidential audit program, a program that is absolutely necessary to ensure that the world's most important public servant is abiding by the law, paying his or her taxes like you and me, and free from any conflicts of interest. But clearly, the IRS doesn't appreciate, nor does it prioritize the importance of this program, especially during the last administration because, as applied to the former President, not one audit was completed, despite what the President said to the American public.…”