You are here: Home / Archives for House of Representatives

House Ethics Committee Outlines Charges Against. Rep. Rangel

July 29, 2010 By Jeff Leave a Comment

The House Committee on Standards of Official Contact today released a detailed Statement Alleged Violation which charges Congressmen Charles Rangel (D- NY) 13 violations of House rules:

A public trial into ethics charges against New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel began today. Lawmakers cast the proceedings as a necessary exercise to regain the public’s trust in Congress.

The 20-term representative is charged with 13 “very serious” allegations, said Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, the ranking Republican in the House Ethics Committee. The charges are related to allegations Rangel inappropriately solicited donations for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York, left errors and omissions on his financial dicslosure forms, failed to report and pay taxes on rental income for a beach villa, and inappropriately allowed his campaign committees to use a rent subsized apartment.

Rangel attempted to reach a settlement with the committee to avoid a humiliating public trial, but no deal was reached. The start of trial now marks the culmination of a two-year investigation into the charges against him.

The charges against Rep. Rangel include using his office to solicit of contributions to the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City College of New York; the  acceptance of four rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem; errors and omissions on his financial disclosure forms; and his failure to report and pay taxes on rental income from a beach villa he owns in the Dominican Republic.

If convicted Rep. Rangel could face a range of penalties ranging from censure to expulsion from the House or Representatives.

Bottom line, Charlie Rangel is the poster child for Congressional term limits. If he had any shame he’d resign and save himself and and his party the embarrassment of a trial.

You can read to full Statement of Alleged Violations and supporting documents related to Statement of Alleged Violations on the Ethics Committee’s web site.

Filed Under: Culture of Corruption, Politics Tagged With: , , ,

House Ethics Commitee Charges Charlie Rangel With Violating House Rules

July 22, 2010 By Jeff Leave a Comment

It’s taken two years of investigations, but the House Committee on Standards of Official Contact has finally charged Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) with multiple ethics violations:

House ethics investigators have accused the once-powerful Rep. Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.) of breaking a series of congressional rules.

Mr. Rangel will have the opportunity to defend himself at a public trial before the House ethics committee beginning next week, according to a statement Thursday from the panel, formally called the House Committee on Standards of Official Contact.

The committee did not detail the charges or its findings. Congressional ethics investigators had been reviewing whether Mr. Rangel failed to disclose $75,000 worth of income he received from a rental property he owns in the Dominican Republic. Mr. Rangel has admitted what he called a mistake on that matter and has paid back taxes.

Lawmakers are required to fill out a financial-disclose statement once a year listing their assets, debts and sources of income. But Mr. Rangel has repeatedly failed to report all of his assets, and he recently filed amended reports that disclosed an additional $500,000 in assets.

Investigators have also been reviewing whether Mr. Rangel used official congressional letterhead for fund-raising letters he sent to corporations and others seeking donations for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City College of New York. In addition, investigators were looking at whether Mr. Rangel have violated congressional rules by occupying several rent-stabilized apartments provided by a Manhattan real estate developer. The congressman himself had asked the ethics committee to look into those two matters.

If  he’s found guilty of violating House rules Congressman Mr. Rangel could face a variety of penalties including expulsion from Congress. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out… So far Nancy Pelosi’s “most ehtical Congress ever” has had a rather lackluster reputation on ethics. Even if Rep. Rangel, who turned 80 in June, beats the rap I suspect party insiders will be pressuring to step aside lest they hand another talking point to Republicans come November.

James Richardson has more on the Charlie Rangel’s history of ethical lapses over at Red State.

Related

Filed Under: Culture of Corruption, Politics Tagged With: , , ,

Rep. Mark Souder Resigns After Affair With Staffer

May 19, 2010 By Jeff Leave a Comment

I should have mentioned this yesterday, but the Blumenthal and Bysiewicz stories put it on the back burner… Eight term Indian Congressman Mark Souder resigned yesterday after admitting to an affair with a female aide who worked in his district office:

Eight-term Indiana Rep. Mark Souder announced his resignation Tuesday after admitting to an affair with a female aide who worked in his district office.

Souder, a Republican, will will step down on Friday. He said in remarks obtained by Fox News that he “sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff.”

“I wish I could have been a better example,” he said. “In this poisonous environment of Washington, D.C., any personal failing is seized upon, often twisted, for political gain. I am resigning rather than to put my family through that painful, drawn-out process. … We are a committed family but the error is mine and I should bear the responsibility. Not only am I thankful for a loving family but for a loving God.”

Multiple senior House sources indicated that the extent of Souder’s affair with the staffer would have landed him before the House Ethics Committee. Sources told Fox News that the aide, identified as Tracy Jackson, a woman in her mid-40s, would accompany the congressman to events and to record ads at a Christian radio broadcast station.

First of all, I’m really getting sick of these so called “family values” politicians who nothing more than bottom feeders… If you don’t walk the walk, don’t talk the talk.

Second, why couldn’t this schmuck have resigned a month ago? Mr. Souder won hotly contested Republican primary just two weeks ago to keep his seat, Republicans will now have to find a replacement for him at the state convention next month.

Anyway, Congressman, just go and don’t let the door hit you were the good Lord split you.

Filed Under: Culture of Corruption, Politics Tagged With: , , ,

Rep. John Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, Dies at 77

February 8, 2010 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Reuters is reporting that Congressman John “Jack” Murtha of Pennsylvania has passed away:

Democratic Representative John Murtha, the chairman of the House of Representatives defense appropriations subcommittee who exercised enormous influence on defense issues, died on Monday.

Murtha, 77, died peacefully at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington with his family by his side, a statement from his office said. He had been hospitalized recently with a gallbladder problem.

As the top Democrat on the House panel that oversaw defense appropriations, Murtha wielded big clout in Congress, making decisions affecting billions of dollars in defense-related spending.

The Pennsylvanian was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in February 1974. He was a former Marine and veteran of the Vietnam war.

It’s bad form to speak ill of the dead so I’ll just say, Godspeed Congressman, rest in peace.

Related

Filed Under: Breaking News, Politics Tagged With: , ,

Blue Dog Democrat Jumps Ship; Joins Republicans

December 22, 2009 By Jeff Leave a Comment

From Politico:

POLITICO has learned that Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican.

According to two senior GOP aides familiar with the decision, the announcement will take place this afternoon in Griffith’s district in northern Alabama.

Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send a jolt through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been unnerved by the recent retirements of a handful of members who, like Griffith, hail from districts that offer prime pickup opportunities for the GOP in 2010.

The switch represents a coup for the House Republican leadership, which had been courting Griffith since he publicly criticized the Democratic leadership in the wake of raucous town halls during the summer.

Rep. Griffith’s announcement comes on the heels of a wave of Blue Dog Democrat retirements, for the moment his switch has far more symbolic than substantive value… The Democrats still have a 40 seat majority in the House. I do suspect, however, that Rep. Griffith won’t be the last Blue Dog to jump ship. There’s pretty sizable anti-Democrat wave sweeping the country and unless something changes drastically between now and November 2, 2010 Congressional Democrats would appear to be headed for a fall.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: , ,

House Passes Health Care Refore Bill

November 10, 2009 By Jeff Leave a Comment

I meant to post this yesterday but it slipped through the cracks of what was another manic Monday.

The House of Representatives passed Nancy Pelosi’s 1,990 page health care reform bill by a vote of 220 to 215 on Saturday night.

The House of Representatives late Saturday night approved a historic bill to remake the U.S. health-care system, delivering President Barack Obama a key procedural victory on his top domestic priority after a lengthy and sometimes emotional day of debate on the nearly 2,000-page measure.

By a vote of 220-215, lawmakers approved a 10-year, $1.055 trillion bill that aims to put in place near-universal health-care coverage in the United States, would require individuals to buy and most businesses to offer coverage, and expand Medicaid. Poorer Americans would get subsidies to buy insurance under the bill, and insurers would be barred from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

The bill would also establish a government-run health-insurance plan option to compete with private insurers — the controversial “public option” strongly backed by Obama but sharply opposed by Republicans.

Just one Republican, Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana, voted for the White House-backed bill. A substitute bill offered by the GOP failed on a vote of 176-258. The House Democrats’ bill will now need to be melded with a bill awaiting action in the Senate.

Obama said after the vote that the bill “will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.”

The president added that he is “absolutely confident” that the Senate will pass its version of the law, “and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.”

Before the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said it was “an historic moment for our nation and for America’s families.”

House lawmakers began debating late Saturday morning and were immediately caught up in partisan fighting. But House Democratic leaders were upbeat about the bill’s prospects after an early afternoon meeting with Obama, who made a rare Saturday trip to Capitol Hill to press members to pass the measure.

That the bill passed is no surprise, that Republicans helped it pass is… The sad reality here is that if the Republican’s had shown a little political courage and voted present on the Stupak Amendment there’s a good chance the Democrats wouldn’t have been able to find enough votes in their own caucus to pass H.R. 3962, the Health Care Reform bill.

I understand why Republicans essentially had to vote for the Stupak Amendment… Abortion is an important issue to great many voters and if Republicans had voted against the Stupak Amendment they more than likely would have faced a backlash from pro-life voters. Unfortunately, is was a wasted vote, Henry Waxmen and other have pointedly said there’s “no guarantee” the Stupak Amendment will be retained in the final version of the bill.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) even said during the floor debate on the bill Saturday that he doubts the amendment will survive the conference committee.

Regardless the fight now heads to the Senate where the conventional wisdom says it will be a much tougher fight… Don’t believe it, I fully expect the Senate to pass a Health Care reform bill this year, probably without a so called Public Option, but they will pass a bill. A bill that will put us one step closer to the Democrats goal of a socialized single payer system… A system that does things like this.

Related

Filed Under: Economy, Health Care, Politics Tagged With: , , , ,

Steny Hoyer: We Don’t Have the Votes… Yet.

November 6, 2009 By Jeff Leave a Comment

From the Associated Press:

House Democrats acknowledged they don’t yet have the votes to pass a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system, and signaled they may push back the vote until Sunday or early next week.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters in a conference call Friday that the make-or-break vote on President Barack Obama’s push to make health coverage part of the social safety net could face delay. Democrats were originally hoping to pass the bill on Saturday-and officially, that’s still the plan.

But Democrats have yet to resolve a intraparty disputes over abortion funding and illegal immigrants’ access to medical coverage. They cleared one hurdle Friday when liberals supporting a government-run Medicare-for-all system withdrew their demand for a floor vote.

Hoyer sought to pin the blame for any possible slippage on delaying tactics expected from Republicans, who unanimously oppose the health care remake.

Heh, of course they’re trying to pin the blame on Republicans, it can’t possibly be because of divisions in their own caucus… I mean it’s not like the Democrats have a 256 seat majority in the House or anything… oh, right, yeah, um – never mind.

Dan Perrin has the Whip list here… If you’re in any of their districts, call, fax, e-mail tell them to just say no to Obama/Pelosi care.

Filed Under: Economy, Health Care, Politics Tagged With: , ,

NY-23: Scozzafava Quits!

October 31, 2009 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Dede Scozzafava, the hand-picked choice of the New York state GOP has suspended her campaign for the 23rd Congressional District and is releasing all her supporters:

Dede Scozzafava, the Republican and Independence parties candidate, announced Saturday that she is suspending her campaign for the 23rd Congressional District and releasing all her supporters.

The state Assemblywoman has not thrown her support to either Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, or Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate.

“Today, I again seek to act for the good of our community,” Ms. Scozzafava wrote in a letter to friends and supporters. “It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my party will emerge stronger and our district and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations.”

Assemblywoman Scozzafava’s announcement comes close on the heels of a new Siena Research Institute poll (PDF) that shows her badly trailing both Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman… In recent weeks the three-way race to  replace Republican Rep. John McHugh, who was appointed Secretary of the Army by President Obama in June, has become a closely fought two man race between Hoffman and Owens.

Ms. Scozzafava was the hand picked choice of 23rd District’s 11 Republican county chairmen. According to a Wall Street Journal report she was chosen this summer when the county chairmen gathered at a pizzeria in Potsdam to pick a nominee. They were reportedly looking for someone with name recognition who could prevail in a shortened campaign. At the time Ms. Scozzafava, a former small-town mayor who has served for a decade in the state legislature, seemed the right choice.

As it turns out Ms. Scozzafava was the wrong choice… The Republican Party bosses who passed over Doug Hoffman to choose Ms. Scozzafava have some explaining to do.

H/T : The Other McCain and Hot Air.

Related

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dede Scozzafava? What the Heck Were Republicans Thinking???

October 21, 2009 By Jeff Leave a Comment

I have to confess the November 3rd special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district wasn’t even on my radar until I read this Wall Street Journal article… Since then I’ve been keeping a close on the race between erstwhile Republican Dede Scozzafava, Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

I can’t for the life of me understand why Republican Party bosses selected Scozzafava, a pro-abortion, pro-union, ACORN backed, Working Families Party-endorsed, tax and spend big government liberal who has more in common with democrats than she does the GOP’s conservative base… Particularly when a viable conservative candidate was available.

Regardless of her stance on the issues Scozzafava’s bumbled encounter with John McCormack of The Weekly Standard ought to doom her candidacy.

Police questioned a reporter from a conservative publication after receiving a call that he harassed a Republican candidate for Congress who refused to answer his questions about her positions on tax and health issues.

“I don’t believe it ever escalated to anything that would ever be classified as an emergency,” Fredenburg said.

No charges were filed against McCormack.

<…>

In the audio recording of the reporter’s questioning played for The Associated Press by McCormack, the reporter didn’t raise his voice, but repeated his unanswered questions several times, including one about abortion.

“I never screamed, I never yelled, I never shouted,” he said. “My voice was only loud enough so she could hear my questions.”

In a statement released Tuesday to the blog Politico, Scozzafava’s campaign said the reporter “repeatedly screamed questions (in-your-face-style),” but later issued a statement deleting the accusation.

Bottom line Scozzafava either couldn’t or wouldn’t answer McCormack’s questions and called the police to save her from a report… A call the police chief effectively says was unjustified.

The situation in New York’s 23rd congressional district is emblematic of the problems facing the GOP. Republicans didn’t the 2006 and 2008 elections because they were to conservative, they lost because they abandoned traditional conservative principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility… Over the last decade they morphed from the party of Reagan into the big spending, big government party of George W. Bush.

By choosing Dede Scozzafava as their candidate Republican Party bosses have demonstrated they still don’t get it… If Republicans want to win elections they need to draw vibrant contrasts between themselves and Democrats, traditional conservative principles still resonate with the American people… Doug Hoffman is a conservative, Dede Scozzafava isn’t… Michelle Malkin sums things up pretty well:

One thing is guaranteed at the conclusion of the NY-23 special congressional election: The Beltway Republicans who endorsed radical leftist Dede Scozzafava are going to have indelible egg stains on their faces. And GOP establishment fund-raising organizations will be the poorer for it.

Related

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Democrats Lock Republicans Out of Committee Room

October 21, 2009 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Most ethical Congress in history? Heh…

From The Hill:

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) locked Republicans out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee room to keep them from meeting when Democrats aren’t present.

Towns’ action came after repeated public ridicule from the leading Republican on the committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), over Towns’s failure to launch an investigation into Countrywide Mortgage’s reported sweetheart deals to VIPs.

For months Towns has refused Republican requests to subpoena records in the case. Last Thursday Committee Republicans, led by Issa, were poised to force an open vote on the subpoenas at a Committee mark-up meeting. The mark-up was abruptly canceled. Only Republicans showed up while Democrats chairs remained empty.

Republicans charged that Towns canceled the meeting to avoid the subpoena vote. Democrats first claimed the mark-up was canceled due to a conflict with the Financial Services Committee. Later they said it was abandoned after a disagreement among Democratic members on whether to subpoena records on the mortgage industry’s political contributions to Republicans.

A GOP committee staffer captured video of Democrats leaving their separate meeting in private chambers after the mark-up was supposed to have begun. He spliced the video to other footage of the Democrats’ empty chairs at the hearing room, set it to the tune of “Hit the Road, Jack” and posted it on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s minority webpage, where it remained as of press time.

If this is the Democrats idea of transparency and accountability I’d hate to see their idea secrecy… So just what are they trying to cover up?

Here’s the video:

Ouch!

Filed Under: Culture of Corruption, Politics Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts