Getting Old Yet? GOP Votes Again to Protect Trump and Obscure Truth
On Thursday, '230 in GOP decided they work for Donald Trump and not American families with their vote to let him keep his tax returns secret'
Once again, House Republicans voted to shield President Donald Trump from public accountability, rejecting the latest effort to force the president to release his tax returns and White House visitor logs.
The chamber voted 230-193 against Rep. Katherine Clark's (D-Mass.) resolution that would have required Trump to provide the House with his tax returns from 2007-2016, key financial documents, and visitor logs for both the White House and Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach resort. In addition, it would have ordered the Office of Government and Ethics to notify lawmakers of any administration official who was granted a waiver from Trump's order banning lobbyists from serving in government positions and banning government officials from lobbying for five years.
The Hill reports that Rep. Walter Jones (R-S.C.) was the only GOP member to break with his party and call for the records to be released.
Clark tweeted after the vote: "230 in GOP decided they work for Donald Trump and not American families w/ their vote to let him keep his tax returns secret."
Democrats knew ahead of time that their salvo was likely to fail. But now, as Ed O'Keefe pointed out at the Washington Post before the vote, they can "begin attacking vulnerable GOP incumbents as supportive of Trump and his broken promises to 'drain the swamp' in Washington and revamp the federal government's ethics rules."
Indeed, between Thursday's vote and previous rebuffals, Democrats have more than enough fodder for that campaign--and a new tool launched Thursday helps the public keep track of the GOP's hypocrisy.
TrumpTruthHiders.com, a project of MoveOn.org introduced in concert with key members of Congress, provides a scorecard for each Republican House member based on their committee or full House votes on everything from Trump's taxes to ties to Russia.
"As we reach the 100th day of this presidency, it's clear that the Trump administration's conflicts and lies are destroying Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, and that House Republicans are overwhelmingly choosing to protect Trump instead of the truth," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), one of the lawmakers involved.
"Democrats have forced repeated votes on critical issues like the administration's Russia ties, business conflicts and ethical violations," he said. "With very few exceptions, the Republicans have voted to hide the truth and to quash Democrats' efforts to shine a light on these issues. Constituents deserve to know what their members of Congress are really doing on Trump's conflicts and lies, and this website will allow voters to see for themselves."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Once again, House Republicans voted to shield President Donald Trump from public accountability, rejecting the latest effort to force the president to release his tax returns and White House visitor logs.
The chamber voted 230-193 against Rep. Katherine Clark's (D-Mass.) resolution that would have required Trump to provide the House with his tax returns from 2007-2016, key financial documents, and visitor logs for both the White House and Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach resort. In addition, it would have ordered the Office of Government and Ethics to notify lawmakers of any administration official who was granted a waiver from Trump's order banning lobbyists from serving in government positions and banning government officials from lobbying for five years.
The Hill reports that Rep. Walter Jones (R-S.C.) was the only GOP member to break with his party and call for the records to be released.
Clark tweeted after the vote: "230 in GOP decided they work for Donald Trump and not American families w/ their vote to let him keep his tax returns secret."
Democrats knew ahead of time that their salvo was likely to fail. But now, as Ed O'Keefe pointed out at the Washington Post before the vote, they can "begin attacking vulnerable GOP incumbents as supportive of Trump and his broken promises to 'drain the swamp' in Washington and revamp the federal government's ethics rules."
Indeed, between Thursday's vote and previous rebuffals, Democrats have more than enough fodder for that campaign--and a new tool launched Thursday helps the public keep track of the GOP's hypocrisy.
TrumpTruthHiders.com, a project of MoveOn.org introduced in concert with key members of Congress, provides a scorecard for each Republican House member based on their committee or full House votes on everything from Trump's taxes to ties to Russia.
"As we reach the 100th day of this presidency, it's clear that the Trump administration's conflicts and lies are destroying Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, and that House Republicans are overwhelmingly choosing to protect Trump instead of the truth," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), one of the lawmakers involved.
"Democrats have forced repeated votes on critical issues like the administration's Russia ties, business conflicts and ethical violations," he said. "With very few exceptions, the Republicans have voted to hide the truth and to quash Democrats' efforts to shine a light on these issues. Constituents deserve to know what their members of Congress are really doing on Trump's conflicts and lies, and this website will allow voters to see for themselves."
Once again, House Republicans voted to shield President Donald Trump from public accountability, rejecting the latest effort to force the president to release his tax returns and White House visitor logs.
The chamber voted 230-193 against Rep. Katherine Clark's (D-Mass.) resolution that would have required Trump to provide the House with his tax returns from 2007-2016, key financial documents, and visitor logs for both the White House and Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach resort. In addition, it would have ordered the Office of Government and Ethics to notify lawmakers of any administration official who was granted a waiver from Trump's order banning lobbyists from serving in government positions and banning government officials from lobbying for five years.
The Hill reports that Rep. Walter Jones (R-S.C.) was the only GOP member to break with his party and call for the records to be released.
Clark tweeted after the vote: "230 in GOP decided they work for Donald Trump and not American families w/ their vote to let him keep his tax returns secret."
Democrats knew ahead of time that their salvo was likely to fail. But now, as Ed O'Keefe pointed out at the Washington Post before the vote, they can "begin attacking vulnerable GOP incumbents as supportive of Trump and his broken promises to 'drain the swamp' in Washington and revamp the federal government's ethics rules."
Indeed, between Thursday's vote and previous rebuffals, Democrats have more than enough fodder for that campaign--and a new tool launched Thursday helps the public keep track of the GOP's hypocrisy.
TrumpTruthHiders.com, a project of MoveOn.org introduced in concert with key members of Congress, provides a scorecard for each Republican House member based on their committee or full House votes on everything from Trump's taxes to ties to Russia.
"As we reach the 100th day of this presidency, it's clear that the Trump administration's conflicts and lies are destroying Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, and that House Republicans are overwhelmingly choosing to protect Trump instead of the truth," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), one of the lawmakers involved.
"Democrats have forced repeated votes on critical issues like the administration's Russia ties, business conflicts and ethical violations," he said. "With very few exceptions, the Republicans have voted to hide the truth and to quash Democrats' efforts to shine a light on these issues. Constituents deserve to know what their members of Congress are really doing on Trump's conflicts and lies, and this website will allow voters to see for themselves."

