Tax Day came and went last week without Donald Trump acknowledging that Americans should get to see their president's tax returns. An overwhelming majority of citizens--including both Democrats and Republicans--think Trump should release those returns. So do we.
But how far should Democrats go to persuade the president?
A group of lawmakers have pledged this month not to pursue tax reform--which Trump badly wants to address--until they have a better idea how such reform would benefit the president and his family. The best way to learn that, of course, is through Trump's tax returns.
"If he doesn't release his tax returns, it is going to make it much more difficult to get tax reform done," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader.
Schumer and others see the pledge as both leverage against Trump and a way to protect Americans from a president who wants to profit off his office. To that end, Democratic lawmakers are employing procedural maneuvers in an attempt not only to nudge Trump, but to get Republican lawmakers to join the arm-twisting. As far as political stunts go, it's not a bad one.
Still, we're not big fans of political stunts, and we're especially wary of political hostage taking. We didn't approve of it when Republicans shut down the government in 2013 because they wanted Obamacare gone. We don't think Democrats should block significant policy discussion over something that's just tangentially connected.
Yes, Trump could be the beneficiary of tax reform that includes, say, a repeal of the estate tax. But policy shouldn't be crafted or scuttled based on how it affects any one person, even if that person is the president.
Call us old-fashioned, but our elected officials should judge tax reform--or any policy--on its merits.
Editorial on 04/25/2017