Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to discuss the Presidential Tax Transparency Act--legislation that I have authored with Senators Warren, Bennet, Kaine, Baldwin, and Boxer. The reason I proposed this legislation is that ever since Watergate, it has been routine for Democratic and Republican Presidential nominees to release their tax returns. In effect, this has been the norm; this has been the standard operating procedure for almost four decades. That is because the American people expect transparency when it comes to a Presidential candidate's actions and values. They are running for the highest office in our land. They are running to be Commander in Chief for the most powerful Nation in the history of the world. When transparency is the overwhelming expectation of the American people regarding the Presidency, my view is it ought to be the law. We are in the midst of a Presidential election. The nominating conventions are weeks away. One of the candidates who has become his party's presumptive nominee has thus far refused to release his tax returns. In my view, this is a clean break from decades of traditions in our elections. It is a rebuke of the overwhelming majority of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, who are demanding openness and honesty from their Presidential candidates of both political parties on this issue. The reason is that tax returns give the American people a lot of straightforward, honest answers.…”