Senator Murray, Democrats Introduce Bill to Require President and Vice President to Fully Divest Personal Financial Conflicts of Interest

Statement

Today, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) joined more than twenty of her Democratic colleagues to introduce the Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017, which would require the President and Vice President to disclose and divest any potential financial conflicts of interest. It also would require presidential appointees to recuse themselves from any specific matters involving the President's financial conflicts of interest that come before their agencies.

Senator Murray said. "This bill would be a strong step toward transparency and making sure any president, but particularly President-elect Trump, with his unprecedented business dealings and conflicts of interest, assures the public he or she is always acting in the best interest of the country and not merely working for himself or other millionaires, billionaires, and special interests."

The members have consistently demanded more transparency and accountability from President-elect Trump. In November, Democratic senators filed a Resolution stating the Senate's expectation that President-elect Trump must decisively and transparently divest all of his business interests and holdings and completely sever his affiliation with the Trump Organization to avoid any actual or perceived conflicts with the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the President from accepting gifts or benefits from foreign governmental actors.

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