Mnuchin's last appearance in April before the House Financial Services Committee ended in a testy exchange with the chairwoman of the panel, California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, in which he offered her unprompted advice on how to conduct a hearing as he mimicked pounding a gavel.
Last week, the Treasury secretary -- one of the President's earliest allies -- restated in a one-page letter that an April 6 request by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose" and that he is "not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information."
Neal has fought for six weeks to obtain Trump's returns in order to determine whether the IRS is following its policy of annually auditing the president. Mnuchin told a Senate panel earlier last week that Treasury officials would be willing to help members of the Ways and Means Committee examine the process without seeing the President's returns.
Trump is the only president in modern history who's refused to voluntarily release his tax returns, and also to maintain his interest in his personal business while in office, prompting questions and lawsuits about potential conflicts. Several Democratic 2020 candidates have already released their tax information, seeking to draw a contrast with Trump.
House Democrats have grown increasingly furious over repeated attempts by the Trump administration, including the Treasury Department, to block various congressional oversight efforts including over the President's tax returns, calling such efforts to undermine the probes "unprecedented stonewalling."
Trump has said the White House will be "fighting all the subpoenas" issued by congressional committees conducting oversight investigations on his administration. The White House has also instructed certain officials and staffers not to testify before Congress, including former White House counsel Don McGahn, who failed to appear Tuesday.
The administration's rejection of the tax return subpoena is likely to set up a court battle between the legislative and executive branches that could go beyond the 2020 election.
Neal has said he prefers to move to court without holding Mnuchin in contempt -- unlike House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, who spearheaded a recent vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt.
"I don't see what good it would do at this particular time," Neal told CNN on Friday when asked if he would hold the Treasury department or IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in contempt. "I think if both sides have made up their minds, better to move it to the next branch of government, the judiciary."
In the past, congressional chairs have taken the step to hold an official in contempt before going to a judge.
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