While Republican Senators hem and haw over the Blanche nomination and accept handshake assurances, Wyden and Neal’s legislation would be an enforceable check on the Executive Branch
Washington, D.C. — Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden D-Ore. and House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal D-Mass. today introduced legislation to once and for all rescind the unprecedented audit immunity granted to President Trump, his family, businesses, and associates as part of the Administration’s collusive settlement in Trump v. IRS. All Ways and Means Democrats are co-sponsoring the legislation, and last week, all Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee supported a Wyden led effort to permanently block Trump’s audit immunity deal in a committee markup.
The legislation would provide an enforceable congressional check on the deal as concerned senators have instead relied on flimsy assurances from the Administration while weighing the confirmation of Todd Blanche.
“Legislation is the most enforceable check Congress has on the Executive Branch, and that’s what this moment demands,” Wyden and Neal said. “This President has already shown he will go to any length to shield himself, his family, and his associates from scrutiny, enabled by his former personal attorney that’s in the process of being elevated to the nation’s attorney. A handshake and a wink from the engineers of this deal is not sufficient to ensure a resurrection of the deal once he secures the top job.”
The leaders continued: “No president gets to put himself above the law, and Congress cannot trust this Administration to police itself. Our legislation would shut down this corrupt immunity deal and ensure that the law applies to Donald Trump just as it does to every other American. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to stand up as a check on this abuse of power, and we expect bipartisan support in barring this immunity protection forever.”
The text of this legislation is here.
A web version of this release is here.
###