U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Joins Resolution Urging Trump to Comply with Constitution by Truly Severing Relationship with Private Business

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joins Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) in introducing a resolution stating the sense of Congress that President-elect Trump should follow the precedent established by prior presidents and convert his assets to simple, conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts managed by an independent trustees, or take other equivalent measures in order to ensure compliance with the United States Constitution.

The resolution notes that in the absence of such actions by the President-elect before he assumes office or without specific authorization by Congress, Congress will regard dealings by Trump-owned companies with any entity owned by a foreign governmental actor as potential violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.

Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution provides that “no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

“The Constitution requires, and the American people must be assured, that the President of the United States takes actions to benefit the public interest, not to advance his or her private interests, said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to join Senator Cardin in introducing this resolution to make it clear to President-elect Trump that he must act before he takes office to ensure his personal financial interests do not conflict with our Constitution’s safeguards against foreign influence in our government.”

Additional co-sponsors of the resolution are Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Harry Reid (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Al Franken (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

A copy of the resolution is available here.