IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 143 

Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 10, 2009 

Mr. CARTER submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the table 

RESOLUTION 

Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 

Whereas the gentleman from New York, Charles B. Rangel, 

the fourth most senior Member of the House of Representatives, serves as chairman of the House Ways and 

Means Committee, a position of considerable power and 

influence within the House of Representatives; 

Whereas clause one of rule 23 of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives provides ‘‘A Member, Delegate, Resident 

Commission, officer, or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect 

creditably on the House’’; 

Whereas The New York Times reported on September 5, 

2008, that ‘‘Representative Charles B. Rangel has earned 

more than $75,000 in rental income from a villa he has 

owned in the Dominican Republic since 1988, but never 

reported it on his federal or state tax returns, according 


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•HRES 143 LTH 

to a lawyer for the congressman and documents from the 

resort.’’; 

Whereas, in an article in the September 5, 2008, edition of 

The New York Times, his attorney confirmed that Representative Rangel’s annual congressional Financial Disclosure statements failed to disclose the rental income 

from his resort villa; 

Whereas The New York Times reported on September 6, 

2008, that ‘‘Representative Charles B. Rangel paid no interest for more than a decade on a mortgage extended to 

him to buy a villa at a beachfront resort in the Dominican Republic, according to Mr. Rangel’s lawyer and 

records from the resort. The loan, which was extended to 

Mr. Rangel in 1988, was originally to be paid back over 

seven years at a rate of 10.5 percent. But within two 

years, interest on the loan was waived for Mr. Rangel.’’; 

Whereas clause 5(a)(2)(A) of House Rule 25 defines a gift 

as ‘‘. . . a gratuity, favor, discount entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary 

value’’ and prohibits the acceptance of such gifts except 

in limited circumstances; 

Whereas Representative Rangel’s acceptance of thousands of 

dollars in interest forgiveness is a violation of the House 

gift ban; 

Whereas Representative Rangel’s failure to disclose the aforementioned gifts and income on his Personal Financial 

Disclosure Statements violates House rules and Federal 

law; 

Whereas Representative Rangel’s failure to report the aforementioned gifts and income on Federal, State, and local 


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•HRES 143 LTH 

tax returns is a violation of the tax laws of those jurisdictions; 

Whereas the Committee on Ways and Means, which Representative Rangel chairs, has jurisdiction over the 

United States Tax Code; 

Whereas the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct first announced on July 31, 2008, that it was reviewing allegations of misconduct by Representative Rangel; 

Whereas The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced on September 24, 2008, that it had established an investigative subcommittee in the matter of 

Representative Rangel; 

Whereas The New York Times reported on November 24, 

2008, that ‘‘Congressional records and interviews show 

that Mr. Rangel was instrumental in preserving a lucrative tax loophole that benefited [Nabors Industries] an oil 

drilling company last year, while at the same time its 

chief executive was pledging $1 million to the Charles B. 

Rangel School of Public Service at C.C.N.Y.’’; 

Whereas the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced on December 9, 2008, that it had expanded the jurisdiction of the aforementioned investigative subcommittee to examine the allegations related to 

Representative Rangel’s involvement with Nabors Industries; 

Whereas Roll Call newspaper reported on September 15, 

2008, that ‘‘The inconsistent reports are among myriad 

errors, discrepancies and unexplained entries on Rangel’s 

personal disclosure forms over the past eight years that 


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•HRES 143 LTH 

make it almost impossible to get a clear picture of the 

Ways and Means chairman’s financial dealings.’’; 

Whereas Roll Call newspaper reported on September 16, 

2008, that ‘‘Rangel said he would hire a ‘forensic accountant’ to review all of his disclosure forms going back 

20 years, and to provide a report to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which Rangel 

said will then make public.’’; 

Whereas, nearly five months after Representative Rangel 

pledged to provide a public forensic accounting of his tax 

and Federal financial disclosure records, he has failed to 

do so; 

Whereas an editorial in The New York Times on September 

15, 2008, stated ‘‘Mounting embarrassment for taxpayers 

and Congress makes it imperative that Representative 

Charles Rangel step aside as chairman of the Ways and 

Means Committee while his ethical problems are investigated.’’; 

Whereas, on May 24, 2006, then Minority Leader Nancy 

Pelosi cited ‘‘high ethical standards’’ in a letter to Representative William Jefferson asking that he resign his 

seat on the Committee on Ways and Means in light of 

ongoing investigations into alleged financial impropriety 

by Representative Jefferson; and 

Whereas, by the conduct giving rise to this resolution, Representative Charles B. Rangel has dishonored himself and 

brought discredit to the House: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution and 

2 pending completion of the investigation into his affairs by 

3 the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, RepVerDate Nov 24 2008 03:02 Feb 12, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR143.LTH HR143

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•HRES 143 LTH 

1 resentative Rangel is hereby removed as chairman of the 

2 Committee on Ways and Means. 

Æ 


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