Politics

(WASHINGTON) — The House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines on Tuesday to release information from former President Donald Trump’s tax returns covering 2015-2020. That move capped a tumultuous legal battle over the documents and drew the spotlight back to the years-long controversy over Trump’s decision not to disclose financial information after launching his political career.

Trump broke decades of tradition when he first ran for president in 2016 and — after initially suggesting otherwise — refused to release his tax returns, claiming he was under audit by the IRS.

Democrats have long criticized that move and, since they retook the House in 2018, sought to obtain the records themselves, which they ultimately accomplished last month.

Trump isn’t the first president for whom his taxes were controversial: In 1973, Richard Nixon started the custom of presidents releasing their tax information — with Nixon’s release intended to assuage the public after scrutiny over some deductions he claimed.

Later, after the IRS began a policy of automatically auditing presidents and vice presidents’ taxes, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush paid nearly $200,000 in back taxes on previously undisclosed income from the sale of a home.

In Trump’s case, information released by the House panel on Tuesday — while they say they are redacting information from the wider records to come within days — showed that in some years between 2015 and 2020 he paid little to no taxes and, multiple times, reported tens of millions in losses.

In 2018 and 2019, when he reported positive income rather than losses, he paid a combined $1.1 million in taxes, according to the committee.

Republicans on the House committee warned Democrats were setting a dangerous precedent of using private financial records as partisan weapons, but the committee’s chairman, Richard Neal, D-Mass., said the decision “rises above politics.”

The committee highlighted how they found the IRS had not followed its automatic audit policy with Trump until 2019, after he was already in office.

Along with questions about auditing and privacy, political strategists said the tax release raises the possibility of damaging Trump’s standing with voters, who have said they want him to disclose more about his finances.

“With the exception of Donald Trump, every major party presidential nominee over the past 40 years has released their tax returns, so yes, I think Americans are entitled to know what’s in them,” said Democratic pollster Matt Hogan. “It’s not that the average American wants to know what’s in a candidate’s tax returns, it’s that if the candidate won’t release them, it sends a signal to voters that the candidate is hiding something.”

Polls have indicated that the public wants to know more about Trump’s taxes. An ABC News survey from 2017 — near the height of the debate over the documents — showed that 74% of adults thought his returns should be released.

At the same time, strategists like Hogan noted, Trump broke with other presidents and candidates in many ways. Democratic rival Hillary Clinton hammered the tax issue on the trail and he defeated her in 2016.

“Just as a president’s budget can help reveal their priorities, the refusal to release their tax returns can help reveal their character. But Trump broke so many political norms, that his refusal to release his tax returns barely registered among the most common critiques of him,” Hogan said.

During one 2016 debate, Clinton said that for several years Trump paid nothing in taxes — a barb he turned into a badge of honor.

“Why won’t he release his tax returns? Maybe he doesn’t want the American people, all of you watching tonight, to know that he’s paid nothing in federal taxes,” she said in one debate. “Because the only years that anybody has ever seen were a couple of years when he had to turn them over to state authorities when he was trying to get a casino license and they showed he didn’t pay any federal income tax.”

“That makes me smart,” Trump responded.

After taking office, Trump continued to maintain he was under audit — telling ABC News’ Jonathan Karl in 2018 that that was one reason he didn’t want to give Democrats his returns.

“If I were finished with the audit, I would have an open mind to it … but I don’t want to do it during an audit,” he said then.

But since becoming the leader of the Republican Party, Trump has continually declined to release details about his finances like his predecessors, who cited the need for transparency.

Nonetheless, some Trump tax information leaked to The New York Times in 2020 and, in November, an accountant described his financial losses about a decade ago while testifying in the trial of his company, the Trump Organization.

“This isn’t the first time Trump’s tax returns have been put out in the public sphere. It didn’t matter then, and it won’t matter now,” said one Trump ally, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Sarah Longwell, a GOP pollster who has been critical of the former president, took another view.

“How much it matters is entirely dependent on what’s in them,” Longwell said. “Assuming it’s more of the same — not paying taxes and inflating valuations — then I don’t think it’ll make much public opinion difference. But if there’s something explosive, it can add to the accumulating perception of Republican voters that Trump has too much baggage to be electable.”

Some prominent conservatives in Washington are condemning the upcoming release while focusing on how it could affect the public — not Trump.

“It will be a regrettable stain on this committee,” Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters earlier this week.

“Let me be clear, our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said then. “Our concern is that if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington is being treated as a mini state visit – one with extraordinary security implications, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

Hundreds of law enforcement and intelligence officials have been activated and the U.S. Secret Service will be the lead agency as he heads to the White House and speaks to Congress Wednesday.

“From the moment he lands and walks down those stairs of his plane, he will have a Secret Service security detail,” one official told ABC News.

“He will have that detail until he gets on the plane to leave,” the official said.

The Secret Service will provide the vehicles for his motorcade and will be assisted with the motorcade by Prince George’s County police and Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police.

Zelenskyy will have his own Ukrainian security detail with him as well.

Don Mihalek, a former United States Secret Service agent told ABC News the Secret Service protects all foreign heads of state while on U.S. soil.

“The Secret Service is responsible for the protection of all visiting foreign heads of state,” he said. “They will mobilize a multi-agency security umbrella to ensure his visit is kept safe.”

Security officials at the most senior levels of government are “very” concerned about the prospect of something happening during the visit and when he returns home, domestically or abroad, one source told ABC News.

Zelenskyy’s trip to Capitol Hill will be similar to State of the Union security preparations because of the high level nature of the address, the official said.

“Being that they are at war with the Russians, not only is there threats potentially from Russian agents, and Russian collaborators, but there will also be threats from those that oppose Ukraine’s independence and other nations that might have a vested interest in seeing that Ukraine is not successful,” Mihalek, an ABC News contributor said.

According to an email sent to staff at the Capitol and obtained by ABC News, security measures will be “significant.” The email says only staff and members will be allowed in the House wing past a certain time.

The Secret Service also is consulting with the Capitol Police, CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies about the security environment. Every Capitol Police officer will be on standby, according to one law enforcement official.

“We are very cognizant that Russia has assets in this country and might try to do something,” one senior official said. “We know what is at stake.”

The U.S. is aware that early on in the conflict the Russians apparently plotted to kill Zelenskyy and the official expressed concern that news of Zelensky’s visit broke so early about him coming to the United States. It would have been much better, he said, if our adversaries had less time, not more time, to think about doing something and to move assets and operatives around.

The official went on to say he is concerned about Zelensky’s security once he leaves the country.

“Putin and the Kremlin know he has to get back to home,” the official said.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making a dramatic visit to Washington Wednesday — his first trip outside Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February.

He’s set to visit President Joe Biden at the White House and address Congress as lawmakers vote on $45 billion more in emergency aid, and Biden is expected to announce the U.S. will send Ukraine a Patriot anti-missile battery to defend against devastating Russian attacks.

In a virtual address to U.S. lawmakers back in March, Zelenskyy emotionally pleaded for more aggressive measures to help fight the war. Invoking key American tragedies, including Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks, Zelenskyy told members at the time, “Just remember it … Our country experiences the same every day right now.”

Please check back for updates. All times Eastern:

Dec 21, 1:34 PM EST
Zelenskyy arrives at Blair House

President Zelenskyy has arrived at Blair House, which now has a Ukrainian flag flying overhead. Blair House, located across the street from the White House, is the residence where foreign dignitaries often stay when visiting Washington.

Dec 21, 1:21 PM EST
McConnell says more Ukraine aid boosts ‘American interests’

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made the case for more military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday as some in his party oppose sending more money to the nation.

“The reason that a big bipartisan majority of the American people and a big bipartisan majority in Congress support continuing to assist Ukraine is not primarily about inspiring speeches or desire to engage in philanthropy,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

“The most basic reasons for continuing to help Ukraine degrade and defeat the Russian invaders are cold, hard, practical, American interests,” he continued. “Helping equip our friends in eastern Europe defeat this world is also a direct investment in reducing Putin’s future capabilities to menace America, threaten our allies and contest our core interests.”

But some in the GOP are questioning the amount of aid being sent to Ukraine, arguing the government should be investing that money domestically. “American taxpayers are literally paying to prop up many countries all over the world in foreign aid, but America is virtually crumbling before our eyes,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene argued in a series of tweets on Wednesday.

Other Republicans argue the need for more oversight of the funds being approved for Ukraine, stating they don’t want to write a “blank check” to Ukraine.

Dec 21, 1:02 PM EST
Zelenskyy continues to take risks for country

From the frontlines of the war in Ukraine to the political frontlines of Washington on Capitol Hill and the White House, Zelenskyy continues to take risks to defend Ukraine and show masterful skill at using language and symbolism to marshal international support.

“Remember Pearl Harbor. The morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Remember. Remember September 11. A terrible day in 2001 when people tried to turn your cities into battlefields. When innocent people were attacked from the air. No one expected it. You couldn’t stop it,” he said in his virtual speech to Congress in March.

“Our country experiences the same every day,” he said.

Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to the front-line city of Bakhmut on Monday, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have fought a months-long battle. The comedian-turned-politician who was elected to lead Ukraine in 2019, was named Time’s person of the year earlier this month “for proving that courage can be as contagious as fear.”

Dec 21, 12:45 PM EST
Zelenskyy has landed in the US

A U.S. official confirms to ABC News that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has landed in the U.S.

–ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Dec 21, 12:27 PM EST
‘Significant’ security measures in place at Capitol

Zelenskyy’s trip to Capitol Hill will be similar to State of the Union preparations because of the high-level nature of the address. Security officials at the most senior levels of government are “very” concerned about the prospect of something happening tonight, domestically or abroad, one source told ABC News.

According to an email sent to staff at the Capitol and obtained by ABC News, security measures will be “significant.” The email says only staff and members will be allowed in the House wing past a certain time.

Another official said, “We are very cognizant that Russia has assets in this country and might try to do something. We know what is at stake.”

The source said the U.S. is aware that early on in the conflict the Russians apparently plotted to kill Zelenskyy. The official expressed concern that news of Zelensky’s visit broke so early about him coming to the United States. It would have been much better, he said, if our adversaries had less time, not more time, to think about doing something and to move assets and operatives around.

-ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas and Luke Barr

Dec 21, 12:19 PM EST
Secret Service leading security for Zelenskyy’s trip

Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington is being treated as a mini-state visit — a visit with extraordinary security implications, according to multiple sources. Hundreds of law enforcement and intelligence officials have been activated for this visit with the U.S. Secret Service tasked as the lead agency.

“From the moment he lands and walks down those stairs of his plane, he will have a Secret Service security detail,” one official tells ABC News. “He will have that detail until he gets on the plane to leave.”

Secret Service is also consulting with the Capitol Police, CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies about the security environment. One source told ABC News every Capitol Police officer is on standby.

-ABC News’ Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas and Luke Barr

Dec 21, 11:50 AM EST
Schumer compares Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., compared Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill during floor remarks on Wednesday.

“Where Winston Churchill stood generations ago, so, too, President Zelenskyy stands not just as a president but also as an ambassador to freedom itself,” Schumer said.

Churchill, prime minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, addressed U.S. lawmakers in a speech the day after Christmas in 1941 — just weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack.

“Sure I am, that this day, now, we are the masters of our fate,” Churchill told Congress. “That the task which has been set us is not above our strength. That its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our cause, and an unconquerable willpower, salvation will not be denied us.”

Schumer said he will “happily join” Congress in welcoming Zelenskyy, and urged Republicans to attend the joint meeting.

“It is a high honor to welcome a foreign head of state to Congress, but it is nearly unheard of to hear from a leader who is fighting for his life fighting for his country’s survival and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy,” Schumer said.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted Tuesday to make public some documents related to former President Donald Trump’s tax returns — a move Trump has long fought.

The committee met for several hours behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon and then returned to vote 24-16 in open session to release the information related to Trump’s tax returns from 2015-2020.

It’s not clear what documents will be released or ultimately included in the committee’s report, but there will be two days to redact sensitive information before anything is made public.

Chairman Richard Neal, D- Mass., said after the vote, “This is not being punitive. This is not about being malicious.”

The tax returns will cover six years, from 2015 to 2020, Neal later said. The committee is in the process of redacting personal information and will release the documents once that’s finished, which Neal said could be in a “few days.” The six years of returns, including those of eight affiliated businesses; committee reports, a report from the Joint Committee on Taxation and IRS audit reports are expected to be released.

According to a summary released by the committee, Trump and his wife Melania, during the first year of Trump’s presidential campaign in 2015, together reported $31.7 million in losses and reported $641,931 in net taxes.

During the 2016 presidential election year, the two again reported losing $32.4 million in adjusted gross income and paid just $750 in taxes, according to the committee. During Trump’s first year in office, the couple reported losing $12.9 million and again paid $750 in taxes.

In 2018, their adjusted gross income went up, with them bringing in $24.3 million, and they reported paying $999,456 in taxes. In 2019, the two reported making $4.4 million and paid $133,445 in taxes.

In 2020, they reported losing $4.8 million and Trump paid $0 in taxes.

Neal told reporters that the committee found there was no ongoing audit of Trump’s tax returns during his presidency until the committee requested them, despite an IRS requirement that tax returns filed by a sitting president or vice president are subject to audit.

Neal said the audit only began in 2019 after he requested the returns and said the audits of the requested returns were never completed.

“The tax forms were really never audited and only my sending a letter at one point prompted a rear-view mirror response,” Neal said.

The committee earlier unanimously voted to have a transcript of the closed proceedings released when appropriate.

Before the committee met, multiple boxes of Trump tax return-related documents were seen being wheeled into the room.

The committee obtained the information from the Treasury Department last month, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to block an appears court order that he surrender his tax returns and other financial records to the committee.

It marked the fourth time Trump had lost a high court appeal related to requests for his taxes.

It’s not immediately clear what significant new information might be in the committee’s possession. Prosecutors in New York have already been able to access some of the data, but some of what the committee has could be more recent.

Tuesday’s vote came a day after the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make criminal referrals about Trump to the Justice Department.

The committee had requested six years’ worth of Trump’s returns as part of what it said was an investigation into IRS audit practices of presidents and vice presidents.

In his petition to the Supreme Court, Trump accused the committee of seeking his taxes under false pretenses.

In November, it was revealed that Trump reported nearly $1 billion in operating losses over a two-year period about a decade ago when an accountant testified at the criminal trial of the Trump Organization, spilling into public tax information that the former president has tried repeatedly to keep private.

The Ways and Means Committee move comes just two weeks before House Republicans are set to take majority control.

The Supreme Court offered no explanation for its decision and there was no noted dissent or vote breakdown.

“We knew the strength of our case, we stayed the course, followed the advice of counsel, and finally, our case has been affirmed by the highest court in the land,” Chairman Neal said at the time. “Since the Magna Carta, the principle of oversight has been upheld, and today is no different. This rises above politics, and the Committee will now conduct the oversight that we’ve sought for the last three and a half years.”

While Trump has claimed the subpoena is a politically motivated fishing expedition, the committee said the documents were critical for drafting “legislation on equitable tax administration, including legislation on the President’s tax compliance.”

The top Republican on the committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, has accused Democrats of making a major mistake in a “rush to target” Trump.

“Ways and Means Democrats are unleashing a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond President Trump, and jeopardizes the privacy of every American,” Brady said in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

“Going forward, partisans in Congress have nearly unlimited power to target political enemies by obtaining and making public their private tax returns to embarrass and destroy them. This is not limited to public officials, but can target private citizens, business and labor leaders, and Supreme Court justices,” he said.

He echoed that shortly before the members gathered, saying, “The precedent that we set today will have severe consequences for taxpayers in democracy.”

ABC News’ Tal Axelrod, Aaron Katersky, Devin Dwyer, Rachel Scott and Will Steakin contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making a dramatic visit to Washington Wednesday — his first trip outside Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February.

He’s set to visit President Joe Biden at the White House and address Congress as lawmakers vote on $45 billion more in emergency aid, and Biden is expected to announce the U.S. will send Ukraine a Patriot anti-missile battery to defend against devastating Russian attacks.

In a virtual address to U.S. lawmakers back in March, Zelenskyy emotionally pleaded for more aggressive measures to help fight the war. Invoking key American tragedies, including Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks, Zelenskyy told members at the time, “Just remember it … Our country experiences the same every day right now.”

Please check back for updates. All times Eastern:

Dec 21, 12:45 PM EST
Zelenskyy has landed in the US

A U.S. official confirms to ABC News that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has landed in the U.S.

–ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Dec 21, 12:27 PM EST
‘Significant’ security measures in place at Capitol

Zelenskyy’s trip to Capitol Hill will be similar to State of the Union preparations because of the high-level nature of the address. Security officials at the most senior levels of government are “very” concerned about the prospect of something happening tonight, domestically or abroad, one source told ABC News.

According to an email sent to staff at the Capitol and obtained by ABC News, security measures will be “significant.” The email says only staff and members will be allowed in the House wing past a certain time.

Another official said, “We are very cognizant that Russia has assets in this country and might try to do something. We know what is at stake.”

The source said the U.S. is aware that early on in the conflict the Russians apparently plotted to kill Zelenskyy. The official expressed concern that news of Zelensky’s visit broke so early about him coming to the United States. It would have been much better, he said, if our adversaries had less time, not more time, to think about doing something and to move assets and operatives around.

-ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas and Luke Barr

Dec 21, 12:19 PM EST
Secret Service leading security for Zelenskyy’s trip

Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington is being treated as a mini-state visit — a visit with extraordinary security implications, according to multiple sources. Hundreds of law enforcement and intelligence officials have been activated for this visit with the U.S. Secret Service tasked as the lead agency.

“From the moment he lands and walks down those stairs of his plane, he will have a Secret Service security detail,” one official tells ABC News. “He will have that detail until he gets on the plane to leave.”

Secret Service is also consulting with the Capitol Police, CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies about the security environment. One source told ABC News every Capitol Police officer is on standby.

-ABC News’ Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas and Luke Barr

Dec 21, 11:50 AM EST
Schumer compares Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., compared Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill during floor remarks on Wednesday.

“Where Winston Churchill stood generations ago, so, too, President Zelenskyy stands not just as a president but also as an ambassador to freedom itself,” Schumer said.

Churchill, prime minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, addressed U.S. lawmakers in a speech the day after Christmas in 1941 — just weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack.

“Sure I am, that this day, now, we are the masters of our fate,” Churchill told Congress. “That the task which has been set us is not above our strength. That its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our cause, and an unconquerable willpower, salvation will not be denied us.”

Schumer said he will “happily join” Congress in welcoming Zelenskyy, and urged Republicans to attend the joint meeting.

“It is a high honor to welcome a foreign head of state to Congress, but it is nearly unheard of to hear from a leader who is fighting for his life fighting for his country’s survival and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy,” Schumer said.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to meet with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of Congress, according to the White House.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement early Wednesday morning, saying the president invited Zelenskyy to visit Washington, D.C., “to underscore the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine.”

“President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Zelenskyy today, December 21, at the White House, after which President Zelenskyy will address a joint session of Congress, demonstrating the strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine,” Jean-Pierre said. “Three hundred days ago, Russia launched a brutal assault against Ukraine. In response, President Biden rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Zelenskyy confirmed early Wednesday that he was on his way to the U.S. and will have discussions with Biden, adding: “I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings.”

On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of 🇺🇦. In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between 🇺🇦 and 🇺🇸. I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 21, 2022

The trip will be his first travel outside of his country since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began 10 months ago.

“During the visit, President Biden will announce a significant new package of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” Jean-Pierre said. “The visit will underscore the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, including through the provision of economic, humanitarian and military assistance.”

Sources on Tuesday told ABC News that plans were underway for Zelenskyy to visit the Capitol on Wednesday to address a joint session of Congress.

The trip comes as Congress is considering $45 billion in funding for Ukraine. Earlier Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged all members to be present at votes “for a very special focus on Democracy Wednesday night.”

Zelenskyy, who enjoys broad bipartisan support on the Hill despite some Republican calls for more oversight of U.S. aid, has addressed Congress before — remotely — on March 16, some three weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At the time, he thanked Congress but called on the U.S. to do more for his country. He invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr. — “I have a dream” — and said “I have a need” to protect Ukraine.

At the end of the roughly 16-minute speech, he addressed Biden directly: “You are the leader of the nation … I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted Tuesday to make public some documents related to former President Donald Trump’s tax returns — a move Trump has long fought.

The committee met for several hours behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon and then returned to vote 24-16 in open session to release the information related to Trump’s tax returns from 2015-2020.

It’s not clear what documents will be released or ultimately included in the committee’s report, but there will be two days to redact sensitive information before anything is made public.

Chairman Richard Neal, D- Mass., said after the vote, “This is not being punitive. This is not about being malicious.”

The tax returns will cover six years, from 2015 to 2020, Neal later said. The committee is in the process of redacting personal information and will release the documents once that’s finished, which Neal said could be in a “few days.” The six years of returns, including those of eight affiliated businesses; committee reports, a report from the Joint Committee on Taxation and IRS audit reports are expected to be released.

Neal told reporters that the committee found there was no ongoing audit of Trump’s tax returns during his presidency until the committee requested them, despite an IRS requirement that tax returns filed by a sitting president or vice president are subject to audit.

Neal said the audit only began in 2019 after he requested the returns and said the audits of the requested returns were never completed.

“The tax forms were really never audited and only my sending a letter at one point prompted a rear-view mirror response,” Neal said.

The committee earlier unanimously voted to have a transcript of the closed proceedings released when appropriate.

Before the committee met, multiple boxes of Trump tax return-related documents were seen being wheeled into the room.

The committee obtained the information from the Treasury Department last month, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to block an appears court order that he surrender his tax returns and other financial records to the committee.

It marked the fourth time Trump had lost a high court appeal related to requests for his taxes.

It’s not immediately clear what significant new information might be in the committee’s possession. Prosecutors in New York have already been able to access some of the data, but some of what the committee has could be more recent.

Tuesday’s vote came a day after the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make criminal referrals about Trump to the Justice Department.

The committee had requested six years’ worth of Trump’s returns as part of what it said was an investigation into IRS audit practices of presidents and vice presidents.

In his petition to the Supreme Court, Trump accused the committee of seeking his taxes under false pretenses.

In November, it was revealed that Trump reported nearly $1 billion in operating losses over a two-year period about a decade ago when an accountant testified at the criminal trial of the Trump Organization, spilling into public tax information that the former president has tried repeatedly to keep private.

The Ways and Means Committee move comes just two weeks before House Republicans are set to take majority control.

The Supreme Court offered no explanation for its decision and there was no noted dissent or vote breakdown.

“We knew the strength of our case, we stayed the course, followed the advice of counsel, and finally, our case has been affirmed by the highest court in the land,” Chairman Neal said at the time. “Since the Magna Carta, the principle of oversight has been upheld, and today is no different. This rises above politics, and the Committee will now conduct the oversight that we’ve sought for the last three and a half years.”

While Trump has claimed the subpoena is a politically motivated fishing expedition, the committee said the documents were critical for drafting “legislation on equitable tax administration, including legislation on the President’s tax compliance.”

The top Republican on the committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, has accused Democrats of making a major mistake in a “rush to target” Trump.

“Ways and Means Democrats are unleashing a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond President Trump, and jeopardizes the privacy of every American,” Brady said in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

“Going forward, partisans in Congress have nearly unlimited power to target political enemies by obtaining and making public their private tax returns to embarrass and destroy them. This is not limited to public officials, but can target private citizens, business and labor leaders, and Supreme Court justices,” he said.

He echoed that shortly before the members gathered, saying, “The precedent that we set today will have severe consequences for taxpayers in democracy.”

ABC News’ Tal Axelrod, Aaron Katersky, Devin Dwyer, Rachel Scott and Will Steakin contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. is expected to announce on Wednesday that it will provide Ukraine with Patriot missile defense systems and precision bomb kits that will turn dumb bombs into smart bombs guided by GPS coordinates toward their targets, according to U.S. officials.

The inclusion of both weapons systems in the new U.S. military aid package is significant because it will give Ukraine an advanced system to protect its cities from Russian air strikes and will give its air force a new offensive capability.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, the United States has provided more than $19 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

The transfer of the advanced air defense system is something Ukrainian officials have been demanding since shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. It can target ballistic and cruise missiles as well as manned and unmanned aircraft with a maximum range of 100 miles, depending on the system possibly given to Ukraine.

But U.S. officials have not been open to that possibility until recently out of concern over how Russia might react to their presence in Ukraine as well as over what might be learned about the missile’s technology if a missile or its components were to fall into Russian hands.

The aid package will also include Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kits that will convert “dumb” bombs into precision guided weapons that use GPS coordinates to strike a target. “Dumb bombs” is the name used to describe gravity bombs without guidance systems that are dropped directly over a target and are notoriously imprecise.

JDAM kits contain equipment that are attached to the front and back of a bomb to guide a bomb to a precise target using GPS coordinates.

Ukraine’s air force has been carrying out limited flight operations throughout the 10-month war and presumably the bomb kits will give it a new offensive capability.

It is unclear when both systems will arrive in Ukraine.

U.S. officials believe that, once the Patriot transfer is approved, a training program for Ukrainian troops could begin in Germany in a matter of weeks. But any training program will have to be much shorter than the training given to American soldiers that requires a minimum of five months of training followed by more advanced training.

A typical Patriot battery includes a radar system, a power generation supply, and a command and control station connected to several launch stations. With its sophisticated radar system it will be able to engage eight targets at a time.

The U.S. and its partners have resupplied Ukraine’s Soviet-era S-300 air defense missiles and provided Western air defense systems such as shoulder-fired Stinger missiles and other larger air defense systems like the NASAM, jointly produced by the U.S. and Norway.

But it is the Patriot missile that Ukrainians have remained focused on, specifically after Russian began using missile and one-way drone barrages targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, causing electricity blackouts throughout much of the country.

Reacting to the news that the U.S. is likely to supply Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian Defense official told ABC News that they will be “a game changer,” describing them as “one of the best systems in the world.” The official added that Ukraine’s access to the missiles will “drastically increase our capacity to defend our skies from Russian strikes.”

Even with an accelerated training program it could be sometime in early 2023 before a Patriot system is operational in Ukraine.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Senate leaders on Tuesday scrambled to beat a midnight Friday deadline to avoid a government shutdown after negotiators early Tuesday unveiled the text of a massive, $1.7 trillion spending bill to keep funding going through fiscal year 2023.

“The choice is clear. We can either do our jobs and fund the government, or we can abandon our responsibilities without a real path forward,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement.

If it passes procedural and political hurdles in the Senate, House lawmakers must still approve the measure as well.

Members on both sides of the aisle are claiming victories on the bill. Republicans are celebrating a boost in defense spending, while Democrats tout the inclusion of Ukraine aid and reforms to the Electoral Count Act to avoid a repeat of Jan. 6 and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

The bill also has a stamp of approval from the administration, despite not including everything President Joe Biden and officials wanted.

“As with any compromise, neither side got everything it wanted, but this legislation is good for our economy, our competitiveness, and our country, and I urge Congress to send it to the President’s desk without delay,” Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement after the bill’s text was released.

While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he wants the bill to be passed as soon as possible given the approaching winter storm, a handful of Republicans could delay the process.

Several GOP Senators including Rick Scott, Mike Braun, Ron Jonson ad Rand Paul wheeled a physical copy of the massive omnibus bill on a cart adorned with signs that read, “Danger 1.7 trillion of hazardous Debt,” and “Omnibus Beware debt hazard of 1.7 trillion added to the National Dept.”

The senators then each took the stand to air their grievances with the bill which they believe to be catastrophic for the American people citing inflation and national deficit concerns as well as insufficient time to properly vet the bill before a vote. Paul promised to bring several amendments to the floor for a vote.

“The American people don’t want this. They’re sick and tired of it,” Paul said, adding, “It’s a terrible system. Someone needs to stand up. We’re standing up and we’re saying no.”

There’s also a handful of House Republicans calling for the caucus to punt the issue into the new Congress, when they take over the chamber. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy went so far as to threaten any future bill from Senate Republicans to be “dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward.”

Here’s a look at some of the measures in the bill and what didn’t make it into the text.

What’s included: TikTok ban, Ukraine aid and more

Overall, the omnibus bill would allocate $858 billion in defense-related spending — a $76 billion increase from fiscal year 2022.

It also allocates $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, which is a $68 billion increase from last year.

Appropriators set aside $45 billion in aid for Ukraine and NATO allies amid Russia’s ongoing invasion, which is $7 billion more than what the Biden administration had requested. The bill also includes a pay raise for American troops and civilian federal employees.

The bill also includes $118 billion for medical services for veterans, which includes funding for recently passed legislation that aids veterans suffering from exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances.

The bill provides $40 billion to assist communities impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters. It includes $1 billion for Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, which has been beaten down by hurricanes and other storms, and $600 million to address the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.

Among the measures unrelated to spending in the omnibus bill is reform to the Electoral Count Act, the centuries-old law former President Donald Trump and his allies tried to exploit in the failed effort to overturn the 2020 election. The changes to the law were made in response to the Jan. 6 attack.

Also included is a measure to ban the use of the social media app TikTok on government-issued devices. The measure mirrors state-level bans on the app passed in recent weeks in Texas, Georgia and other areas.

What’s been left out: COVID funding, expanded Child Tax Credit

What the $1.7 trillion spending bill doesn’t include is the COVID-19 funding that the White House requested to help boost vaccine and treatment supplies and fund next-generation research.

Cannabis banking legislation was also left on the cutting room floor. The SAFE Banking Act, which passed with bipartisan support in the House last year, would allow banks to provide services to cannabis companies in states where it is legal.

The expanded Child Tax Credit was left out of the bill despite Democrats’ push to renew the benefit that was credited with a decline in child poverty. Legislation legislation to narrow the sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine offenses, a priority for criminal justice advocates, was also not included in the spending package.

Also on the chopping block was a measure that would have provided a citizenship path to “Dreamer” immigrants, those who came to the U.S. illegally as children, and the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow refugees who were resettled when U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan to be on a path to permanent residency.

Both Schumer and McConnell noted there were things not included that they would have liked to see included in the bill that were omitted.

“There were many things, one could argue, that were important that didn’t make it into bill,” McConnell said Tuesday.

-ABC News’ Noah Minnie contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Plans are underway for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to address a joint session of Congress, according to sources.

The sources cautioned on Tuesday that the visit was not confirmed, dependent on security

The trip comes as Congress is considering $45 billion in funding for Ukraine. Earlier Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged all members to be present at votes “for a very special focus on Democracy Wednesday night.”

Zelenskyy, who enjoys broad bipartisan support on the Hill despite some Republican calls for more oversight of U.S. aid, has addressed Congress before — remotely — on March 16, some three weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At the time he thanked Congress but called on the U.S. to do more for his country. He invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr. — “I have a dream” — and said “I have a need” to protect Ukraine.

At the end of the roughly 16-minute speech, he addressed President Joe Biden directly: “You are the leader of the nation … I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”

At the end of the roughly 16-minute speech, he addressed President Joe Biden directly: “You are the leader of the nation … I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.