IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig confirmed at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday that there is "no rule that would prohibit the release of a tax return because it's under audit," in reference to an ongoing effort by House Democrats to obtain President Trump's tax returns.

Driving the news: Trump told reporters on Wednesday, the deadline given by House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal for Trump to release his tax returns, that he will not do so while under audit — a defense he has used for the past 3 years. Trump's lawyers sent a letter to the Department of Treasury counsel last week dismissing the request for returns as politically-motivated.

Go deeper: Mick Mulvaney says Democrats will never get Trump's tax returns