Democratic Senator Ron Wyden (D-WA) and House Representative Richard Neal (D-MA) have introduced legislation, along with 45 other members, that would force the president to disclose his foreign business interests and ties before being allowed to take any trade actions in his capacity as commander and chief.
“Americans have a right to know if the President is looking out for the good of the country or just his own bottom line when he negotiates a trade deal, decides whether or not to enforce our trade laws, or decides whether to cut tariffs on imports from a developing country,” Wyden said. “Trump has business interests around the world, but he continues to keep the full nature of those ties secret.”
“It is imperative that all Presidents of the United States – including President Trump – are fully transparent about the nature and extent of their ties to foreign nations,” said Ranking Member Neal. “This bill would cement in law that Presidents must disclose all of their financial interests with countries that are involved in trade actions with the United States, a commonsense measure. We have to know that the interests of the American people and our country come first at all times, not just when it’s economically convenient or beneficial to a sitting President.”
It is imperative that all presidents can show enough transparency that potential conflicts of interest do not plague their administration.