State lawmakers on Wednesday put the finishing touches on a bill that is meant to provide their counterparts in Congress access to President Donald Trump’s New York tax returns.
The bill, along with a chapter amendment meant to narrow the scope of the legislation to cover only public officials who file taxes in New York, is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Republicans in the Legislature blasted the bill as politically motivated and a distraction from issues facing the state, like jobs, taxes and the economy. Democrats, however, countered the measure was meant to provide a dose of transparency for elected officials.
The measure dovetailed with the final passage of a separate bill on Tuesday that allows New York prosecutors to bring cases against those the president has pardoned if a state law was broken.
“This is a bill that’s more narrowly tailored and gives comfort to our colleagues that the bill will protect the privacy protections of tax returns and accomplish the goal of the state of New York standing up for Congress as a co-equal branch of government,” said Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsors the bill. “The bottom line is no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States.”
The bill requires the state Department of Taxation commissioner to provide copies of any public official’s tax filings if request by Congress. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are pushing for access to Trump’s federal tax filings. As a candidate, Trump broke with decades of tradition and declined to release his taxes voluntarily.
“This bill stands for the principle of transparency with regards to top officials tax returns,” said Assemblyman David Buchwald. “Shedding light on tax returns is an important public purpose.”
While the bill was narrowed in scope, Buchwald said it would still make thousands of public officials taxes open for review by Congress.
Republicans, however, saw things differently.
“I thought it was a shameless exhibition of putting politics ahead of any policy,” said Assemblyman Andy Goodell, the Republican floor leader.
Goodell noted voters were aware of Trump’s stance prior to the election that he would not release his taxes.
“President Trump was clear he’s not releasing his tax returns before the election,” he said. “That was clearly out in the public.”