WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders were defiant Thursday that Capitol Hill lawmakers should not release their tax returns — even as Democrats kept demanding Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney release his.
“When I run for president of the United States, you can hold me to that standard,” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, who refuses to disclose her returns, told reporters during a tense news conference.
A day after McClatchy Newspapers reported that most members of Congress refused repeated requests to release their tax returns, Pelosi talked at some length about why Romney, who has released 2010 returns and says he will release 2011 data when it’s ready, should release even more returns.
“If you release them you tell a story,” she said. “If you don’t release them you leave it up to the imagination of anybody who wants to talk about it to talk about it.”
But she reacted testily when asked whether she and members of Congress should abide by such rules.
“There are no rules. There are no rules. There’s no rule about releasing his tax return, so what rules are you referring to?” she asked, growing clearly frustrated. Asked about the standard she had cited for a presidential candidate, Pelosi said: “It’s up to the American people. The American people are the judges of that.”
After being questioned about why her demand for more transparency from Romney shouldn’t apply to Congress as well, she briefly changed course and said the issue of tax returns was not important.
“The tradition that was honored by this same person’s father,” Pelosi said, recalling how George Romney released several years of his tax returns when he ran for president in 1968. “Now I’m not here, this is not important to me, let me say this: What’s important to me are jobs and the rest,” Pelosi said.
Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, had a terse response. “I’ve never released my tax returns. That’s my private business, just like it’s your own private business,” he told a news conference.
Boehner called the furor over returns a “sideshow … the American people are asking the question where are the jobs. They’re not asking where are the tax returns.”
Over the last three months, McClatchy asked all members of Congress to provide their tax data. Seventeen gave their returns, or provided similar documentation of their tax liabilities. Nineteen including Pelosi would not disclose returns. Most did not respond.
Moves were afoot Thursday to increase disclosure, but not necessarily for members of Congress. Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, is preparing legislation requiring presidential candidates to disclose 10 years of returns. He is studying whether to include members of Congress and congressional candidates. Levin’s website features five years of his tax returns.
In the Senate, Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Sens. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., want all members of Congress, candidates for federal office and any federal employee to file disclosure forms to report annually on a financial interest in a country considered a tax haven.
Lawmakers now must annually file financial disclosure forms, but experts criticize those forms as often being too vague. The forms contain ranges of income, making it difficult to pinpoint someone’s worth. And there’s no direct information on tax liabilities.
Durbin has released his tax returns annually since he arrived in Congress 30 years ago, and he plans to disclose his latest returns this week. Levin released his 2011 returns this week.
Pelosi, though, ridiculed any push for full release of returns by Congress.
“Maybe they [returns] should all be made public, maybe it should be a public function. What do you think of that for everybody?” Pelosi asked. “For everybody who writes about it, for everybody who hires people who write about it, the corporate ownership of the media and what are they doing as far as their taxes are concerned.
“Let’s not be silly,” she said. “It’s up to [Romney] to take the consequences of not doing it, or doing it, but not to deflect [the issue] to say, ‘Well, if he has to do it, why doesn’t everybody else have to do it?’ ”
Pelosi answered her own question. “Because everybody else is not running for president,” she said, “and that’s the last thing I’m going to say about it.”
© 2012 McClatchy Washington Bureau
Distributed by MCT Information Services
RELEASE OBAMA’S COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS!
Therein lies the hypocrisy. You’ll demand Obama’s transcripts (there isn’t really a standard of doing this), but you don’t care that Romney’s hasn’t even released one full year’s worth of tax returns. Do you have principles or is this pure politics?
I have principles, I am not a leftist.
Then are you upset about Romney not adhering to the precedent and making certain documents public?
Lefties whined day in and day out to see Bushs school records….strangely quiet on Obamas. Its ironic givin the subject of double standards
Is Bush running? No. Romney is. You screeched for all these things from Obama and now suddenly you’re perfectly fine with Romney revealing nothing? THAT is the double standard.
Sorry doesnt work that way. Especially from a party that blames bush for everything. I have said romney should release his, so dont assume. However, you of all people talking about hypocrisy is laughable. Romney should release it. Obama should release his school records.
Simple question, everyone expected bush to release his school records, why shouldnt Obama? You preach of double standards but excuse it when its pelosi, or yourself.
Let me ask another question. Romney is only running for president. He doesnt have the job yet. So its ok to want records of the person without the job, but not the one with it?
Mitt, release your tax returns showing the last 10 years.
Americans want a how-to lesson on off-shoring assets to avoid paying their fair share.
Mitt, you are a phony.
….but Pelosi isn’t? Double standard. Let that big mouthed witch put her money where her mouth is. Let them all show their tax returns or, better yet, let them all keep it their private business, as it should be.
Obama already released hers and Pelosi isn’t running for President. If her district wants her to release them, then they can ask.
Quit with that tired excuse please. Rather shes running for president or not, she shouldnt be asking for anything she isnt willing to do herself
Are you in her district? If you’re not, it doesn’t matter. You don’t have a say because she doesn’t represent you. You’re just trying to change the subject and deflect attention — it’s pathetic. I want to see Romney’s tax returns. That doesn’t mean I have to show mine — I’m not the one running for President.
Its not pathetic at all, its called leading by example. She doesnt ONLY represent her district. She votes on policies that affect the nation as a whole. Learn the system and get back to us.
Yes, she represents her district. That’s why she’s called a representative of her district. That’s why only her district votes on that seat.
We covered that. Do her votes affect the policies involving the entire country….yes or no?
It doesn’t matter. We don’t vote in her district. It’s up to the people in that district to ask for those things. She doesn’t answer to us, she answers to them.
It does matter. Her votes affect us all. You may not want that to be true, but its true none the less.
Hopefully Nancy doesnt stop too fast or you will have to go to the Dr’s to get your nose removed from her……….
What an intelligent and thoughtful response.
Nothing but the truth LOL.. So help me God…:)
Huh. That’s almost a verbatim quote from Pelosi. Would you also like to quote her flustered reply when asked to disclose her tax return; ‘There are no rules. There is no rule.’
If her district starts demanding she release them, then she should release them. But it’s kind of stupid for some random people to demand she does when she’s not even asking for their vote. Romney on the other hand is asking for our vote.
Who cares about Pelosi? You’r e simply repeating right wing radio reaction to Romney’s ruse. The guy wants to be our President. I want to know if he loves
America enough to invest in it and to pay his appropriate taxes.
Big mouth witches? Mitch McConnell and John Boehner fit that bill.
Not all of us conservatives like nor want Romney to become president.
Genuinly sit back and ask yourself this though, what if a republican asked to see Obamas tax record, then refused to show his own? How would you react? Would you be saying this in a reverse situation? I am not going to assume one way or the other, but if you would be angry, then you represent a large reason why our country is going to hell.
perhaps you haven’t noticed there are republicans asking romney to release more tax information.
why don’t you release yours. who really cares.
Why is it anyone’s business how much investment income the Romney Family has? Who cares…no one has been asking how the Obama Family went from a small income to a huge million dollar income. Pelosi is being a hypocrite asking for Romney’s when she won’t disclose her income tax return (did anyone see her on the 60 minutes show about insider trading in Congress?)!
Romney will be trusted with the suitcase that holds the Red Button to total world anihaliation and he and others wonders why we want to know about his honesty ?
He could be a DR.. Evil with an Underground Lair in the Bahamas
{Give Me a Freakin Break!}
And you trust he who thinks he is king/god? Give me a freaking break!
Please dont get so wound up, not good for your heart.
My heart is just fine…just using Dlbrt’s words right on back to him
She’s a member of the House, she’s not running for President. If her district wants to see her returns, then they can ask — she’s not representing all of us. Mitt however, wants to lead the country. As voters we are free to ask him question before making our decision. Releasing several+ years of tax returns is the precedent.
I remember many people wanting to see another presidents birth certificate. Took awhile. I also remember people asking about college transcripts that the previous administration released….im guessing its ok that he doesnt release those right?
Nobody has been hounded for a birth certificate the way Obama was. You’re not being honest if you say otherwise.
He works for the people. i showed mine to get my job. If one voting, tax paying person wants to see it, he is the employee and should show it
(did anyone see her on the 60 minutes show about insider trading in Congress?)! YES! Talk about all red faced and flustered.
No words to descrive Nancy, none, or atleast ones that can be posted here.
Right on!
People are nosey, a lot of the people that post here are the same way.. I saw that in an article the other day.
Romney and his friend are the same rats that demanded that Obama stoop to the level of releasing his birth certificate. It’s tough when the light shines the other way, isn’t it Mitt?
Still waiting for the real certificate.
haha!
They dont have birth certificates in Kenya
I had to release mine to get my job
You forget, he works for the people, if the people want to see it, it should be provided. Likewise for Romney
No body that pays 15% tax rate for making millions wants their crooked ways uncovered.I wish i could get that same rate on my lowly $35,000 per year.I would be standing in tall cotton
You need an education in how taxes work.
Ms. Pelosi stated seems to be asking something she herself will not do…..quote, “when I run for President you can hold me to that standard”……If that ever happens then God help us!
She’s not running for President. If her district wants to see her tax returns, then they can ask for that. We don’t vote for her though. Mitt on the other hand is asking for our vote and he won’t even adhere to the precedent of releasing several+ years of tax returns? What does he have to hide?
I have no idea if Mr. Romney has anything to “hide”…..there are no “rules” to compel anyone running for the Oval Office to produce prior tax information…..so what “precedent” do you refer?? There is no “standard” for Presidential Candidates in regards to releasing such info and some over the years have released more of their retuns than others without such regards…it’s nothing but a smoke screen to attempt to divert the political conversation from the more important topics, IMHO……
Um, yes there is a precedent of candidates releasing multiple tax returns. They all do that, apparently untill now with Romney. A standard doesn’t have to be set in stone or a rule to be a precedent. The candidates always release their tax returns.
It’s not a smoke screen. I think for you to say that is completely dismissive and it’s actually hypocritical as well. Obama released quite a bit of his information into public record and it still wasn’t enough — people screeched demanding his birth certificate and his college transcripts. Now, those same people are perfectly fine with Romney’s lack of transparency? That’s hypocrisy.
If she ever ran for President even God couldn’t help.
Pelosi is a disgrace to her party and her position.
All those now so interested in Romney’s tax
returns are full of garbage. I want Obama’s transcripts
released….where are they? What is he hiding? Romney
has released all he is required to release and I wouldn’t
give these libbers one thing more. They all demand yet
when asked for their stuff they scream…no way!
If Romney has money in every country in the world, good
luck to him. I wonder how many of the screamers have money
tied up outside the country? I bet they won’t tell! Just
another tactic to move from the failure of Obama and Pelosi
to do what they said they would do. Just another tactic to
take the heat off of our marxist community organizer who
said he deserved to be a 1 term pres if he couldn’t do the job.
I agree with him and he should be allowed to go back to
community organizing since he has no clue about anything else.
Oop! According to him and Dizzy Lizzy Warren, none of us would
be where we were without them.
LOL, says the people who have been screeching for years about Obama’s birth certificate and college transcript. Now you’re perfectly fine with Romney not even releasing one complete tax return? That’s hypocrisy. Plain and simple.
Btw, he should release them, so should Pelosi.
Well at this point Obama has released much more than Romney. So why don’t you get on Romney’s butt about this?
He has? A debatable birth certificate that took how long to get? Ill compromise with you, if Romney hasnt released them in the time it took Obama to release his birth certificate, Ill join you in the fight. That gives him a couple years.
So, you’re a birther. “dabateable birth certificate”? Come on. You’re definitely not worth talking to.
Wrong again. I dont know nor care if hes born here or not. If he wasnt, hes f’n up the country, if he was, hes f’n up the country. Neither here nor there to me. You should read more and assume less. Then YOU will be much more entertaining to talk to.
Many people debate the validity of his birth certificate. Like many people want to see Romneys taxes. See how it works both ways again?
You are good at ignoring what doesnt suit your argument. How long did it take to get the birth certificate? Would you be willing to wait that long to get Romneys tax records? I bet your probably a little more impatient on the one that benefits you.
It took Obama over 2 years….lets give Romney that long? Im sure in the name of fairness, you are ok with that right?
You’re a birther if you say you don’t know if he was born here and that his birth certificate is “debatable”. That’s fine that you think those things, but for me, it’s not worth talking to someone who’s operating so far from reality.
Yet you still are. You dont care what I think about his certificate. You cant argue the point, and you dont even try to. Pathetic, but liberal, ill give you that.
When I say I dont know, it means I dont know, I dont care enough to read or look into it because its a non issue to me. That does not make me a birther, it makes me someone who doesnt care about that issue.
Its sad you refuse to answer a very simple question. Is it ok for Romney to wait 2 years to release his tax information? Should be a simple thing.
You are very typical liberal. I could ask “what do you think of Obama spending a million plus to hide is school records”? You will reply “blue” and think you somehow won the argument.
Winning the argument is not engaging with a birther. Have a good day.
Im sorry that you incapable of answering such a simple question. Its too bad really. I used to be anti same sex marriage. A liberal here on BDN comments, actually convinced me to vote for it. Common ground can be met through discussion, but thats obviously not what you are interested in. Tow the liberal line and continue to be everything wrong with todays political system.
Its too bad you are unwilling to back up what you say. Hypocrisy is ugly that way. Good day to you as well
What’s ugly are your personal attacks.
I said nothing that was not true. I asked you a question multiple times and you ignore it because you cant answer it. You think its ok for one person to demand something of another, while unwilling to follow their own example. The word I used was spot on. Hypocrisy.
Yet, in a continuing shining example of your hypocrisy, you accuse me of making personal attacks, while assuming im something I am not.
Asking you to back up your own words is not a personal attack
All I want to know is if you mind that Romney waits over 2 years to release his tax records? Why is that so difficult to answer?
Do you honestly believe that people are going to want to have a discussion with you if all you do is screech about “typical liberals” and whatever else? That’s not being truthful, that’s being a stereotyping jerk.
9 times out of ten, liberals I argue with refuse to answer any question that does not suit their needs. Much like you have done this entire conversation, thus making you a typical liberal. I have debated with many that are willing to concede when they are wrong or in this case, a blatant hypocrit. They are sadly, not typical.
I have conceded that Romney should release his records. So I am willing to discuss this rationally and fairly. You refuse to answer a very simple question.
However please, allow me to try yet again. Do you have any problems with Romney waiting over 2 years to release his tax records? Why is it so hard to answer?
I don’t think very highly of you, but I’m not going to resort to attacking your character and making ridiculous and sweeping generalizations. That’s why I’m not answering your questions, because you can’t even be decent human being to begin with. What I notice is that 100% of the time, people who rely on personal attacks are idiots and have weak morals.
By claiming you are better than anyone, you are automatically inferior to everyone.
You obviously wont answer, so I will answer at least one of my questions for you. The question of, why is it so hard to answer?
You wont answer because you are painted into a corner. If you say yes, you have no problem waiting 2 plus years for his tax information, you are lying. If you say no, you are unwilling to wait, then you are a hypocrit. You choose the cowards way out and ignore it. I stick by what I say, and the things I say are at least the truth. You lack the courage to back up your convictions. On no level, could you ever be better than me. Get used to it. By the way, you have attacked my character on several occasions. I have merely pointed out that you are the typical liberal hypocrit that you have proven yourself to be.
Good luck in believing your somehow superior to anyone by being nothing better than a coward
I have more liberal friends than I do conservative. I debate with them daily, most of which are willing to back up what they say. Sorry you are not couragous enough.
Lastly, you said yourself Im not worth talking to because Im a “birther”. What you really mean is, I wont answer any questions I am incapable of answering. You have already shown you are willing to talk to me, long after that was said. You just dont have it in you to admit a simple thing. Worse still, you know you are wrong, and it eats you up, so you keep trying so desperatly to change the subject. Im not even joking when I say I feel bad for you.
No, I told you very specifically why I won’t answer and it’s the way you’re behaving like a spoiled child hurling personal insults. It’s unnecessary and my time can be better spent.
So let me see if I understand. Your time is so valuable, that you cant answer a yes or no question, but you can talk on and on about feeling personally insulted? This conversation could have ended many many posts ago.
Now that Ive not only pointed out your hypocrisy, but the fact that you are also a liar. Especially since 6 of your posts ago, you said I wasnt worth talking to. Apparantly, I am worth talking to, you just dont have the stones to show your true self. Sad
I am done because the posts get hard to read. Unlike you, I actually mean what I say. God speed.
You don’t have to get anything clear. I’ve been pretty explicit. I’ll answer your questions when you can behave yourself like a mature adult and go a sentence without slinging mud.
Many of you are perfect examples of everything wrong in our country today. In this case, a democrat is caught in a blatant case of hypocrisy, and the democrats come rushing to play defense. In a reverse situation, many of you republicans would be doing the same thing. Its sickening and frustrating, and I am starting to think the countries problems are people like you, and not the elected officials.
R’s and D’s spit in our faces daily, and depending which letter you blindly follow, its ok, right up until the other letter does it. You are sheep, and nothing more.
Have many of you even considered that there are alternatives to the idiots you blindly follow? For example, I am conservative, but I am not going to vote for Romney just because he is a republican. Romney care is one reason, the fact he is pro gun control is another. However, because he is a republican, idiots will vote for him, based soley on the fact he has an R after his name. The dems are not better
Also, how many millions has Obama spent to hide his school records? Wonder why….
I hope that Nancy never runs for President, OMG…