Idaho Statesman Logo

Rangel steps aside in hopes of avoiding fight with GOP | Idaho Statesman

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Boise
    • West Ada
    • Canyon County
    • Crime
    • State News
    • Nation/World News
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Idahoans in the Military
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • Helping Works
    • In the Classroom
    • Our Community
    • Sports
    • Boise State Football
    • Boise State Basketball
    • Idaho Vandals
    • High Schools
    • Bronco Beat
    • Chadd Cripe
    • Varsity Extra Blog
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Idaho Politics
    • Elections
    • Government and Business
    • Capitol & State
    • Letters from the West
    • National Politics
    • Business
    • Business Insider
    • Business Columns & Blogs
    • Personal Finance
    • Legal Notices
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Bill Manny
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Guest Opinion
    • Submit a Letter or Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Arts and Culture
    • Festivals
    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Music
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Puzzles
    • Words & Deeds
    • ArtsBeat
    • Outdoors
    • Playing Outdoors Blog
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Fishing
    • Hiking and Trails
    • Hunting
    • Winter Recreation
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Treasure
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Best of Treasure Valley
    • Heart of the Treasure Valley
    • Margaret Lauterbach
    • Tim Woodward
    • Carolyn Hax
  • Obituaries

  • Contests
  • Advertise
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

News

Rangel steps aside in hopes of avoiding fight with GOP

William Douglas - McClatchy Newspapers

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 03, 2010 09:03 AM

WASHINGTON — House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, under pressure from an ethics investigation and under fire from Republicans, requested a leave of absence from his chairmanship Wednesday.

Rangel, D-N.Y., announced that he was leaving the chairmanship temporarily on a day that House Republicans were to demand that he give up his gavel after the House ethics committee admonished him for taking corporate-paid trips to the Caribbean.

"In order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi asking her to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work," Rangel said in a hastily arranged Capitol Hill news conference.

The one-paragraph letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read: "I respectfully request a leave of absence from my duties and responsibilities as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means until such time as the Committee on Standards completes its findings on the review currently under way."

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Rangel didn't take questions from reporters but added as he exited the news conference: "From the very beginning, I offered this to Speaker Pelosi."

Pelosi and other Democratic leaders had given Rangel tepid support before his action Wednesday.

The ethics committee publicly admonished Rangel for taking two corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008, though the committee said it had no proof that the 20-term Democrat knew about the corporate funding.

Rangel is still under ethics investigation for a host of alleged violations, ranging from failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income and assets to the use of several rent-controlled apartments in New York, fundraising efforts for a center that bears his name at New York's City College and failing to pay taxes on property he owns in the Dominican Republic.

Rangel's troubles have emboldened House Republicans and have made Democrats, who are bracing for large losses in November's midterm elections, more nervous.

House Republicans were poised to introduce a nonbinding resolution Wednesday demanding that Rangel relinquish his chairmanship. Republicans had introduced similar resolutions in the past that drew scant Democratic support.

After the ethics committee's admonishment of Rangel, however, an increasing number of Democrats said they'd vote for the resolution or that they were returning campaign contributions they'd received from Rangel.

Rangel suffered a significant blow when Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and an Alabama gubernatorial candidate, urged him to step aside as Ways and Means chairman. The caucus previously had solidly supported Rangel.

"An ethics committee admonishment is a serious event and Representative Rangel should do the right thing and step aside as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee," Davis said in a statement that was first reported by The Hill newspaper.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, praised Rangel for his decision Wednesday.

"Any serious ethical violation creates a problem for the entire institution. That's why it's important that Mr. Rangel took the step that he did," Kucinich said on C-SPAN. "That's a big decision on his part, especially with all the important legislation that goes through the committee, but I support his decision."

MORE FROM MCCLATCHY

Senate votes to revive programs after Bunning relents

Kentucky lawmakers blast budget's proposed coal subsidy cuts

GOP candidates for Bunning's seat launch TV ad brawl

McConnell didn't wait for summit to denounce health plan

Follow the latest politics news at McClatchy's Planet Washington

Related stories from Idaho Statesman

HOMEPAGE

Some Democrats returning Rangel's contributions

March 03, 2010 10:39 AM

news

GOP seeks to win with anti-Pelosi strategy

February 20, 2010 11:00 PM

  Comments  

Videos

Trump announces national emergency to get border wall funding

Sen. McConnell says Trump will sign spending bill and declare a national emergency

View More Video

Trending Stories

Witnesses: Snowboarder who died on Bogus Basin Road didn’t launch off popular ‘gap’ cliff

February 13, 2019 12:59 PM

Canyon County woman will serve up to 16 years in ‘horrific’ child torture case

February 14, 2019 02:17 PM

‘More modern. More fun. Super authentic.’ New Asian restaurant plans to open in Boise

February 14, 2019 12:28 PM

Four Boise teenagers arrested for suspected rape of an 18-year-old

February 15, 2019 11:10 AM

Idaho man wanted in ‘vicious assault on a sleeping victim’ arrested in Florida

February 14, 2019 06:44 PM

Read Next

Cruz pushes for stiffer gold penalties against Venezuela’s Maduro

World

Cruz pushes for stiffer gold penalties against Venezuela’s Maduro

By Franco Ordoñez

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 12:38 PM

Sen. Ted Cruz is leading a group of Republican lawmakers that has devised a plan to punish countries, industries or financial institutions caught moving gold for Venezuela or Iran.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

Jury awards $1.8 million to former Idaho prison officer who accused co-worker of raping her

Crime

Jury awards $1.8 million to former Idaho prison officer who accused co-worker of raping her

February 15, 2019 08:48 AM
Kaepernick, Eric Reid settle collusion lawsuits with NFL

Nation & World

Kaepernick, Eric Reid settle collusion lawsuits with NFL

February 15, 2019 12:32 PM
PAC plans new effort to put a black candidate on the 2020 Democratic ticket

Politics & Government

PAC plans new effort to put a black candidate on the 2020 Democratic ticket

February 15, 2019 10:02 AM
McConnell’s opposition to Green New Deal comes as he backs coal

Politics & Government

McConnell’s opposition to Green New Deal comes as he backs coal

February 15, 2019 12:10 PM
What good are smoke alarms if your kids can’t hear? This Pasco mom found a solution

Northwest

What good are smoke alarms if your kids can’t hear? This Pasco mom found a solution

February 15, 2019 08:18 AM
Four Boise teenagers arrested for suspected rape of an 18-year-old

Crime

Four Boise teenagers arrested for suspected rape of an 18-year-old

February 15, 2019 11:10 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Idaho Statesman App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story