What to Know in Washington: Dems Race Clock on Trump Tax Returns

With the Supreme Court refusing to block the House Ways and Means Committee from obtaining former president Trump’s tax returns, attention now turns to Congress, where Democrats are racing against the clock before they lose their majority.

Despite the ostensible victory for Democrats, many hurdles stand in the way of them actually making use of the information.

The IRS and Treasury have said they will comply with the order, but it’s not clear how quickly they will, and mere weeks remain before Republicans take the majority in the House of Representatives.

Tax documents are carefully protected, and disclosing the information publicly is a step only permitted by tax committees, which must have a legislative purpose or be in the process of conducting oversight to obtain them, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The panel could publicly release Trump’s information by opting to send documents or a report including them to the full House. That would presumably be an empty gesture after Republicans formally take the House majority on Jan. 3.

If the committee does not write a report or some other kind of oversight document, Ways and Means Committee chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) could release some of Trump’s tax records by entering them into the Congressional Record, according to Andy Grewal, a University of Iowa law professor who focuses on tax and constitutional issues.

Another potential avenue for Democrats is in the Senate. Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who will keep his title in the new Senate, is still weighing whether to step in. A spokesperson for Wyden said the committee is reviewing its options.

But that could take time as well, with Trump’s lawyer’s likely to object, leading to further litigation and delays; it’s not clear, however, that Wyden would need to make another request. Read more.

Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Donald Trump

Happening on the Hill

CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE:

• House votes are scheduled tomorrow through Friday
• The Senate meets at 3 p.m. to resume consideration of the same-sex marriage bill, with a procedural vote scheduled at 5:30 p.m.

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Elections & Politics

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• Warnock has three times as much cash as Walker heading into the final stretch of their runoff in Georgia, but a Republican super-PAC has plenty of money to help the GOP candidate compete, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission. Read more.

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Around the Administration

PRESIDENT’S SCHEDULE

• Biden will host the 2022 Nobel Prize winners at 1:30 p.m. in the Oval Office.
• At 2:30 p.m., White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby will hold a press briefing.

Justices Weigh Biden Immigration Policy in Texas-Led Showdown

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Microsoft’s Activision Deal Hangs on Long-Shot FTC Accord

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Biden and Trudeau Will Visit Mexico in Early January, AMLO Says

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Chevron to Resume Venezuela Oil Output as US Eases Sanctions

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Biden Calls Club Q Owners, Repeats Push To Ban Assault Weapons

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US Sending More Female Attorneys to Argue at Supreme Court

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Taiwan Sees Fewer Cyberattacks Compared to Around Pelosi Visit

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China Needs Vaccinations More Than Lockdowns, US Officials Say

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To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com; Michaela Ross in Washington at mross@bgov.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Katrice Eborn at keborn@bgov.com