[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1169]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FAILURE TO DIVEST OWNERSHIP INTERESTS

  (Mr. DEUTCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DEUTCH. Madam Speaker, it doesn't take a law degree. It doesn't 
take imagination. All it takes is common sense to see that President 
Trump's ownership and his family's operation of hotels and golf courses 
and rental properties is ripe for corruption.
  President Trump's failure to completely divest his ownership interest 
not only violates tradition followed by every other modern President, 
it is unconstitutional. The Constitution prohibits any U.S. official--
including President Trump--from taking payments from foreign 
governments.
  His ongoing involvement in The Trump Organization will let foreign 
governments funnel payments to his businesses. Foreign operatives will 
try to curry favor with the administration with no accountability to 
the American people.
  When he took the oath of office last week, President Trump swore to 
preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. 
Sadly, his refusal to cut his business ties has broken that vow in 
these very first days of his administration.

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