Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28

Cassidy Accuses Trump of Snubbing Congress on Iran War, Threatens to Oppose $1.8 Billion Fund

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28

Cassidy Accuses Trump of Snubbing Congress on Iran War, Threatens to Oppose $1.8 Billion Fund

Q: What precedent is set when leaders are shielded from the same tax audits other citizens face?

Shielding leaders from the tax audits ordinary citizens face sets a precedent that they operate under a different legal standard, weakening the principle that everyone is equally accountable under the law. In this case, the concern is not only symbolic. Tax experts and former officials have said a blanket protection from IRS review would be highly unusual and outside normal practice. Since the post-Watergate era, presidential returns have been subject to special scrutiny precisely to avoid the appearance that a president can use executive power to escape oversight. Reversing that norm suggests public office can be used to secure personal exemptions. The practical effect is broader than one individual. It can erode confidence in the tax system by implying that enforcement depends on status rather than rules. If taxpayers believe powerful officials and their families can avoid review, trust in voluntary compliance and in the fairness of the IRS is likely to suffer. It also raises institutional concerns. Legal critics argue that using executive branch authority to block audits of a president, relatives, or affiliated businesses risks turning tax administration into a tool of favoritism. That creates a model future officeholders could try to copy for allies or donors, making oversight harder to restore later. That is why Senator Bill Cassidy framed the issue as one of accountability: leaders, he argued, should face at least the same scrutiny as everyone else, not less.

2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28

Bill Cassidy said Trump treated Congress as “merely an appendage” by failing to brief lawmakers on the Iran war, recounting a face-to-face clash after backing a war powers resolution.
That confrontation ended with Cassidy getting a briefing from Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff, after which he dropped support for the symbolic resolution.
Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican ousted in May’s primary after Trump backed a challenger, said his anger centered on constitutional separation of powers and Congress’s duty to be informed.
He also widened his criticism to Trump’s second-term agenda, questioning new federal voting restrictions and warning he could use his Senate vote against acting attorney general Todd Blanche.
A key flashpoint is a Justice Department proposal for a $1.8 billion “weaponization fund” for Trump allies and a plan to shield Trump’s family from IRS audits, which Cassidy said would put one person above the law.