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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 143 Laid on Table in House (LTH)]

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 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 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 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
    Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution and pending 
completion of the investigation into his affairs by the Committee on 
Standards of Official Conduct, Representative Rangel is hereby removed 
as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.
                                 <all>
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