by James Oliphant
Rep. Charles Rangel, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who has been dogged by ethics questions, said today that he would temporarily surrender his powerful post.
In a brief letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rangel (D-N.Y.) said he was handing over his gavel until a House ethic committee finishes its investigation.
The move came ahead of a vote today on a Republican-offered resolution to push Rangel from his chairmanship. Tuesday, it appeared that a significant number of Democrats were going to vote for Rangel's ouster, increasing the pressure on the veteran lawmaker to step aside on his own. As late as Tuesday night, however, he insisted he was still the chairman of the committee, which writes tax legislation.
Earlier in the week, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct found that Rangel knowingly violated House rules by going on two corporate junkets to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008.
Rangel's move also is a blow to Pelosi, who has backed Rangel even as his ethics woes mounted.
Next in line behind Rangel to chair the Ways and Means Committee is Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), one of the most liberal and outspoken members of the House. In 2007, Stark said that troops were being sent to Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."
But it remains possible that the Democratic leadership could choose someone else to head the committee in Rangel's absence.
The ethics committee also is investigating Rangel's ownership of several rent-controlled apartments in New York, his failure to pay taxes on an offshore rental property, and his use of office letterhead to solicit donations for a public-policy school that would bear his name.
Rangel, 79, has represented his Harlem district since 1971 and was the first African-American to take over Ways and Means. He has played a leading role in crafting the healthcare overhaul under consideration in the House and Senate.
One of Rangel's colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, Arthur Davis (D-Ala.), broke with Rangel earlier this week, calling for him to step down. Davis is running for governor of Alabama. It helped spark a wave of Democratic defections, as vulnerable lawmakers running for reelection sought to distance themselves from the embattled congressman. They also began returning campaign donations which they had received from Rangel.
Comments
How can someone hold the position of Chairman of the very powerful Ways and Means Committee, where every tax bill originates, and have a tax problem himself? Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should have had Rangel removed a long time ago. But it is politics as usual and the American public gets screwed again. When will some of our Democratic and Republican elected officials finally realize that not all of us are that stupid out here and will not notice whats going on? Folks, there is an election in November and it is time we throw some of these rascals out. If you don't and reelect the same corrupt people back to power, stop the complaining. You deserve all you get.
Posted by: Depot- Jim | March 3, 2010 10:17 AM
My heart aches for the most ethical Congress EVAH.
Posted by: Chris | March 3, 2010 10:22 AM
GO TEAM RANGEL!!!!
RANGEL TANGLE!! ALL STORIES AP.
Pelosi sidesteps commenting on Rangel's future
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9E3VCVO6&show_article=1
Ethics panel: Rangel was sent memos on trips
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9E42LK02&show_article=1
Rangel refuses to step aside after ethics slap
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9E4BF680&show_article=1
AND EVEN THE "RESPECTED" NYT!!
Relieve the Chairman of His Gavel
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/opinion/28sun3.html?ref=opinion
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | March 3, 2010 10:28 AM
Another career politician who thought that the rules don't apply to him.
Posted by: BC | March 3, 2010 10:43 AM
Why would dems try to distance themselves from Rangel? He is the poster child for the highest ideals of the party. Above the law, tax cheats intent on bankrupting the nation. With ethics like Rangel we get slush funds for unions, government funded abortions, fannie and freddie bailouts and bonuses. This is the face of the dem party.
The dems have been protecting this guy for years and not a peep from any of them. Of course the CBC racists benefited as well but hid behind Rangel's skirt until the wind started blowing.
Meanwhile Peolosi defends this scum right up to the point that even he knew he couldn't go on. How's the swamp you're swimming in Nancy? Did the botox appointments get in the way your draining of the swamp?
It's funny that the dems send out some no name black guy to push this "leave of absence." Meanwhile the rest of the rats scurry back into the darkness. Cover your backside Nancy you botoxed two faced piece of lib corruption.
Posted by: Hans | March 3, 2010 10:51 AM
Rangel is your typical democrat politician that feels he's above the law, but at least nobody drowned in the back seat of his car.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | March 3, 2010 11:32 AM
This guy should be in prison along with the likes of Jefferson from Louisiana, and Cunningham from California. What gets me these people are getting a retirement pay from the government.
Posted by: Paul | March 3, 2010 3:08 PM
Here's a picture of Charlie hard at work at his rental income property in the Domincan Republic - the property he didn't report the income on
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/03/03/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6262164.shtml
Except for the clothes, he looks like he is in the halls of Congress.
Posted by: Terry | March 3, 2010 9:10 PM
And now the Democrats filled the seat with a loony liberal who is even crazier than Pelosi. They're making it that much easier come this November!
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | March 4, 2010 12:43 AM
Maybe he should replace the "only man that can do the job" Timmy Geithner as head of Treasury. Wonder how many Americans were heavily fined or imprisoned for doing what Charlie did?
Oh well he's a Democrat and only committed a felony.
Posted by: Free to Watch Liberals Meltdown | March 4, 2010 10:55 PM