Casten Delivers Floor Speech on H.R.1, Cites Nixon ‘People have to Got to Know Whether or not Their President is a Crook’
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) delivered a Floor speech on H.R. 1, the For the People Act, that passed the House last Friday. H.R. 1 would require candidates for President and Vice President to disclose their tax returns. The Illinois state legislature have been working on legislation that would include this specific idea on the ballot.
To watch my full speech, click the image above or click here.
Casten said, "Just last week, we passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, its worthy aim: to ensure that this government represents the voices of all Americans – not just the privileged and the powerful.
Among its many reforms, H.R. 1 would require candidates for President and Vice President to disclose their tax returns. Giving voters personal tax information has been a tradition of Presidents since 1973, when Richard Nixon, of all people, released his returns and said, ‘People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.' On that issue, I agree with Mr. Nixon.
That seems to be the thinking of my home state legislature, too, that has been working on legislation that would require any Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidate who wants to on the ballot in Illinois to release their tax returns. They think the people have a right to know the true character of the person who will sit in the White House.
Mr. Speaker, we have got to know if our President is a crook.
I would like to see the Senate take up this bill and if they are unable to follow the great leadership of this House, I hope that other states will follow the great leadership of the State of Illinois."