Rep. Beyer Statement on Trump Tax Revelations

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 -- Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia, issued the following statement on Sept. 28:

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and its subcommittee with jurisdiction over taxation, issued the following statement today on New York Times reporting that Donald Trump avoided paying income tax for 10 years and paid only $750 in the year of his election and the first year of his presidency:

"The revelation that Donald Trump paid almost no personal income taxes for many years is not surprising, but it is outrageous. Far more important, however, is Trump's use of the government for his personal benefit rather than that of the American people.

"Even as Trump took advantage of tax laws that benefit the wealthy, quite possibly in illegal ways, he worked with Republicans to make those laws in many ways even more beneficial to the super-rich. More than half of American households have an annual income smaller than the sum Trump wrote off for hair expenses, yet his most consistent policy initiative has been his attempts to weaken their health care protections.

"Trump offset the substantial losses of his personally-branded properties by using his office to boost the profile of those properties. He welcomed the patronage of rich supporters and wealthy corporations who in many cases were rewarded with influence. He spent American taxpayer dollars at his properties with frequent visits, and solicited the support of foreign investors and governments through unconstitutional emoluments. The national security ramifications of his corruption are grave.

"It is likely that we will be uncovering the full measure of Donald Trump's lies about his personal finances and abuses of power for personal profit for years to come. Congress has an important role in oversight, given these revelations, and in correcting the deeply flawed system that allows such awful inequality."