White House aides reportedly pressured House Democrats not to sponsor a bill that would require presidents, vice presidents, and their relatives to disclose foreign income. The bipartisan backing of the bill could potentially be used as a Republican campaign talking point against the Biden family, accusing them of making millions during President Joe Biden’s time in office.
The proposed legislation seeks to enhance transparency by implementing several measures.
1. Requiring top executives to share their tax returns and disclose conflicts of interest.
2. Detailing any loans made to family members.
3. Documenting when immediate relatives join the president on Air Force One.
4. Providing details on whether the relatives’ travel was for business purposes.
5. Fulfilling Rep. James Comer’s pledge to change laws needed to combat influence peddling.
Three Democrats abandoned their sponsorship of the bill, allegedly due to White House pressure: Reps. Ro Khanna (CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL), and Kweisi Mfume (MD. Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) expressed her disappointment in the withdrawal of support for the bill by her fellow Democrats, stating that she had found three senior Democratic co-sponsors but they decided not to support the bill after having conversations with the White House.
The White House declined to comment on Porter’s accusation.