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Oct 7, 2009 4:40 pm US/Central
Dems Defeat GOP Attempt To Oust Rangel
New York Congressman Faces Allegations Of Financial Improprieties
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
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Congressional Republicans are again demanding that Congressman Charles Rangel step down as chairman of the House tax writing committee. (File)
AP
House Republicans have failed for a third time to oust Rep. Charles Rangel as chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.
Despite the expected defeat Wednesday, the GOP did keep the spotlight on the New York Democrat's ethical problems, although the matter will be turned over to the House ethics committee for a long-term investigation. The House voted 246-153 to refer the resolution to remove him to that panel in a partisan vote that had no meaning except to revisit Rangel's problems.
The Harlem congressman is faced with allegations of financial improprieties. The person most in charge of writing the nation's tax laws allegedly neglected to pay taxes on rental income from his vacation villa in the Dominican Republic.
He failed to report assets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on his annual disclosure forms, including a hard-to-miss credit union account worth up to $500,000. And those are only some of his lapses.
Some congressional kingpins who had legal and ethical problems had plenty of political and personal enemies. Former Democratic Speaker Jim Wright, ex-Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich and "The Hammer" — former GOP House leader Tom DeLay — all did.
Rangel, on the other hand, is a Democratic powerhouse with political foes but few enemies. First elected in 1970 from Harlem, the guy with the hoarse voice, large girth and an accent that oozes New York, is well liked by colleagues in both parties.
The current House Republican leader, John Boehner of Ohio, used the words "friend" and a derivative of that word four times in a letter asking Rangel to relinquish his chairmanship until the House ethics committee finished investigating his conduct.
Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat who leads the House Rules Committee, will never forget what Rangel said during a tough re-election fight long ago. She can't recall the year, but she remembers what she was promised by Rangel, one of the few New York City politicians then willing to help upstate lawmakers.
"He told me no Democratic congressman was going to lose an election while he was in charge," Slaughter said. With Rangel's help, she won and is now in her 12th term.
Rangel was first elected to the House in 1970.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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