USA Today has a list of takeaways from the election including how some things that look like mixed signals could actually be good signs for Democrats looking toward 2020. Also included in this article are some thoughts on how a Democratically controlled House can slow down Donald Trump and use their new authority. That includes resuming investigations of Trump’s connections to foreign government and his violations of emoluments, and demanding to see Trump’s tax returns.
Democrats would not even need a subpoena. "Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives,” says the U.S. Code, the secretary of the Treasury “shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request.”
In his endless Wednesday morning press ramble, Trump indicated that he would not turn over his tax returns “as long as they’re under audit,” and of course, they’re always under audit. But the language of the law doesn’t seem to make it optional—which should be a fight starting soon.
But there’s one thing mentioned in the proposals that had rarely been considered in the past. Something that would be sure to absolutely infuriate Trump.
If Democrats really want to sting the president, they can invite him to deliver his State of the Union message in written form only. Although the Constitution requires the chief executive to give Congress “information of the State of the Union,” it says nothing about an oral address, much less the television extravaganza that it has become.
Democrats could drop Trump a line, asking for his annual report, and … file it. No invitation to the House chamber. No opportunity to be seen shaking hands. No count of how many thousand times Republicans stood for his every breath and grunt. He could still do a speech, of course. He does one in front of a rally crowd, lately multiple times a day. But there’s a no reason he should get to give another of his fact-free rants on the grand stage, using the whole of Capitol Hill as a prop.