Joe Crowley: “The form of the remainder of the resolution is as follows: Whereas, in the United States' system of checks and balances…”

“The form of the remainder of the resolution is as follows: Whereas, in the United States' system of checks and balances, Congress has a responsibility to hold the executive branch of government to the highest standard of transparency to ensure the public interest is placed first; Whereas, according to the Tax History Project, every President after Richard Nixon has disclosed their tax return information to the public; Whereas, tax returns provide an important baseline disclosure because they contain highly instructive information including whether the candidate paid taxes, what they own, what they have borrowed and from whom, whether they have made any charitable donations, and whether they have taken advantage of tax loopholes; Whereas, disclosure of the President's tax returns could help those investigating Russian influence in the 2016 election understand the President's financial ties to the Russian Federation and Russian citizens, including debts owed, and whether he shares any partnership interests, equity interests, joint ventures, or licensing agreements with Russia or Russians; Whereas, it has been reported that President Trump's close senior advisers, including Carter Page, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and General Michael Flynn, have been under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their ties to the Russian Federation; Whereas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax, a Russian media outlet, on November 10, 2016, t…”