[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 23769-23773]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I 
hereby notify the House of my intention to offer a resolution as a 
question of the privileges of the House.
  The form of my resolution is as follows:

       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 XXIII 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 Ran-
     gel;
       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 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 after the Ethics Committee probe was underway, 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 
     benefitted 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 since then, further serious allegations of improper 
     and potentially illegal conduct by Representative Rangel have 
     surfaced;
       Whereas during the recently completed August district work 
     period, Representative Rangel acknowledged his failure to 
     publicly disclose at least half a million dollars in cash 
     assets, tens of thousands of dollars in investment income, 
     and his ownership of two pieces of property in New Jersey;
       Whereas corrected financial disclosure statements filed by 
     Representative Rangel on August 12, 2009 now reveal his net 
     worth to be nearly twice as much as he had previously 
     revealed;
       Whereas The New York Times newspaper reported on August 26, 
     2009 that, ``United States Representative Charles B. Rangel, 
     whose personal finances and fund raising are the subject of 
     two House ethics investigations, failed to report at least 
     $500,000 in assets on his 2007 Congressional disclosure form, 
     according to an amended report he filed this month. Among the 
     dozen newly disclosed holdings revealed in the amended ,forms 
     are a checking account at a federal credit union with a 
     balance between $250,000 and $500,000; three vacant lots in 
     Glassboro, N.J., valued at a total of $1,000 to $15,000; and 
     stock in PepsiCo worth between $15,000 and $50,000.'';
       Whereas Roll Call newspaper reported on August 25, 2009 
     that Representative Rangel's corrected filings also revealed 
     ``at least $250,001 in a fund called ML Allianz Global 
     Investors Consults Diversified Port III.'';
       Whereas the aforementioned Roll Call story reported that 
     ``Rangel also originally misreported that his investments in 
     2007 netted him $6,511-$17,950 in dividends, capital gains 
     and rental income. In his revised filing, that range jumped 
     to between $29,220 and $81,200.'';
       Whereas these most recent revelations by Representative 
     Rangel have resulted in heightened national news media 
     coverage of alleged impropriety and potentially criminal 
     conduct by one of the most senior Members of the House;
       Whereas an editorial in The Washington Times newspaper on 
     September 1, 2009 noted, ``Charlie Rangel is one lucky guy. 
     The Democratic congressman from Harlem, N.Y., just discovered 
     that his net wealth is twice what he thought. That's a pretty 
     good day at the office for a public servant. Mr. Rangel also 
     realized that he made tens of thousands of dollars more than 
     he reported in many different years over the past decade. 
     This is the most recent string in a series of financial 
     bonanzas for Mr. Rangel, who last year admitted he had 
     forgotten about $75,000 in rental income on his Caribbean 
     resort property.'';
       Whereas the same editorial also noted, ``The congressman 
     has failed to pay property taxes on two lots in New Jersey, 
     according to the New York Post. That's not all. In order to 
     avoid taxes and get lower mortgage rates, Mr. Rangel 
     simultaneously claimed three `primary residences'.'';
       Whereas an editorial in the September 17, 2009 edition of 
     the New Haven Register stated, ``The ethics and tax 
     complaints keep piling up against U.S. Rep. Charles B. 
     Rangel, who as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee 
     controls writing of the nation's tax laws. The New York 
     Democrat may write those laws, but he apparently feels no 
     obligation to obey them. The investigation appears to have a 
     long way to go. The man who is in charge of writing the 
     nation's tax laws doesn't pay his federal income or local 
     property taxes. He has such a poor grasp of his own finances 
     that he neglects to list half his assets on a disclosure form 
     intended to keep members of Congress accountable and honest. 
     We can already hear the defense of the next tax deadbeat 
     called into court. ``If Charlie Rangel doesn't have to pay 
     his taxes, why should I?'';
       Whereas an article in The Washington Post on September 15, 
     2009 stated, ``Rangel is now the chairman of the House Ways 
     and Means Committee and a man of immense importance in 
     Washington. Nonetheless, he has been busy of late revising 
     and amending the record, backing and filling, using buckets 
     of Wite-Out as he discovers or remembers properties he has 
     owned in New York, New Jersey, Florida, the Dominican 
     Republic and God only knows where else. Rangel recently even 
     discovered bank accounts that no one in the world, apparently 
     including him, knew he had. One was with the Congressional 
     Federal Credit Union; another was with Merrill

[[Page 23770]]

     Lynch--each valued between $250,000 and $500,000. He somehow 
     neglected to mention these accounts on his congressional 
     disclosure forms, which means, if you can believe it, that 
     when he signed the forms, he did not notice that maybe $1 
     million was missing. Someone ought to check the lighting in 
     his office.'';
       Whereas the same article in The Washington Post stated, 
     ``There is something wrong with Charlie Rangel. Either he did 
     not notice that he was worth about twice as much as he said 
     he was--which is downright worrisome in a congressional 
     leader--or he thinks he's above the law, which is downright 
     worrisome in a congressional leader.'';
       Whereas it has been more than one year since 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 at various times during the past twelve months 
     Representative Rangel and Speaker Pelosi have made public 
     statements asserting that the ongoing investigation of 
     Representative Rangel by the Committee on Standards of 
     Official Conduct would soon be concluded;
       Whereas the Committee has to date issued no public 
     statements concerning any expected time line for conducting 
     or concluding its investigation of Representative Rangel;
       Whereas major daily newspapers, including The New York 
     Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Post have called 
     for Representative Rangel's removal from his powerful 
     position at least until the House Ethics Committee has 
     completed its ongoing probes of allegations against him;
       Whereas Representative Rangel's powerful position as 
     chairman permits him to participate in high level decisions 
     about critically important issues such as reform of the 
     nation's health care system;
       Whereas an October 1, 2009 story in The New York Times 
     stated, ``Mr. Rangel is one of a small group of House leaders 
     now meeting almost daily behind closed doors with Speaker 
     Nancy Pelosi to distill from the three bills produced in 
     separate committees the one package that will go to the House 
     floor.'';
       Whereas an Associated Press story on September 20, 2009 
     stated, ``The ethics committee's investigation of Rangel is 
     almost a year old. It's as much a problem for House 
     Democratic leaders as for Rangel himself. Later this year, 
     when Rangel's committee considers estate tax legislation that 
     could expand into other matters, the headlines will be a 
     version of this message: `Tax scofflaw presiding over tax 
     changes.''';


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Holden). The gentleman will state his 
inquiry.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Can any Member of this body claim the privilege of the 
House for an hour based on something they read in a newspaper at any 
time they want?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is giving notice of a question 
of the privileges of the House.
  The gentlemen from Texas may continue.
  Mr. CARTER. The form of the remainder of my resolution is as follows:

       Whereas the New York Post newspaper reported on September 
     2, 2009 that, ``A review of property records for the borough 
     of Glassboro revealed at least six tax liens levied against 
     Rangel's property during the past 16 years. Just last year, 
     two separate liens were levied against both properties owned 
     by Rangel.'';
       Whereas on May 24, 2006, then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi 
     cited ``high ethical standards'' in a letter to former 
     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;
       Whereas Speaker Pelosi took the aforementioned action while 
     Representative Jefferson was under investigation and the 
     subject of considerable controversy in the news media, but 
     prior to any indictment;
       Whereas in April of 2007, Republican Leader John Boehner 
     successfully urged several Republican Members to relinquish 
     their committee assignments after learning that each had 
     become the subject of investigations into possible criminal 
     activity;
       Whereas Leader Boehner took the aforementioned actions 
     while the Members in question were under investigation and 
     the subjects of widespread media controversy, but prior to 
     any indictments; and
       Whereas in the wake of the most recent allegations against 
     Representative Rangel various editorials and articles in 
     major national newspapers criticizing Speaker Pelosi's 
     continued refusal to remove Representative Rangel as chairman 
     of the Committee on Ways and Means after promising she would 
     preside over ``the most ethical Congress in history'' have 
     held the House up to public ridicule: 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas is recognized to 
offer the resolution just noticed.
  Mr. CARTER. I offer the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 805

       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 XXIII 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 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 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 after the Ethics Committee probe was underway, 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 
     benefitted 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 since then, further serious allegations of improper 
     and potentially illegal conduct by Representative Rangel have 
     surfaced;
       Whereas during the recently completed August district work 
     period, Representative Rangel acknowledged his failure to 
     publicly disclose at least half a million dollars in cash 
     assets, tens of thousands of dollars in investment income, 
     and his ownership of two pieces of property in New Jersey;

[[Page 23771]]

       Whereas corrected financial disclosure statements filed by 
     Representative Rangel on August 12, 2009 now reveal his net 
     worth to be nearly twice as much as he had previously 
     revealed;
       Whereas The New York Times newspaper reported on August 26, 
     2009 that, ``United States Representative Charles B. Rangel, 
     whose personal finances and fund raising are the subject of 
     two House ethics investigations, failed to report at least 
     $500,000 in assets on his 2007 Congressional disclosure form, 
     according to an amended report he filed this month. Among the 
     dozen newly disclosed holdings revealed in the amended forms 
     are a checking account at a federal credit union with a 
     balance between $250,000 and $500,000; three vacant lots in 
     Glassboro, N.J., valued at a total of $1,000 to $15,000; and 
     stock in PepsiCo worth between $15,000 and $50,000.'';
       Whereas Roll Call newspaper reported on August 25, 2009 
     that Representative Rangel's corrected filings also revealed 
     ``at least $250,001 in a fund called ML Allianz Global 
     Investors Consults Diversified Port III.'';
       Whereas the aforementioned Roll Call story reported that 
     ``Rangel also originally misreported that his investments in 
     2007 netted him $6,511-$17,950 in dividends, capital gains 
     and rental income. In his revised filing, that range jumped 
     to between $29,220 and $81,200.'';
       Whereas these most recent revelations by Representative 
     Rangel have resulted in heightened national news media 
     coverage of alleged impropriety and potentially criminal 
     conduct by one of the most senior Members of the House;
       Whereas an editorial in The Washington Times newspaper on 
     September 1, 2009 noted, ``Charlie Rangel is one lucky guy. 
     The Democratic congressman from Harlem, N.Y., just discovered 
     that his net wealth is twice what he thought. That's a pretty 
     good day at the office for a public servant. Mr. Rangel also 
     realized that he made tens of thousands of dollars more than 
     he reported in many different years over the past decade. 
     This is the most recent string in a series of financial 
     bonanzas for Mr. Rangel, who last year admitted he had 
     forgotten about $75,000 in rental income on his Caribbean 
     resort property.'';
       Whereas the same editorial also noted, ``The congressman 
     has failed to pay property taxes on two lots in New Jersey, 
     according to the New York Post. That's not all. In order to 
     avoid taxes and get lower mortgage rates, Mr. Rangel 
     simultaneously claimed three 'primary residences'.'';
       Whereas an editorial in the September 17, 2009 edition of 
     the New Haven Register stated, ``The ethics and tax 
     complaints keep piling up against U.S. Rep. Charles B. 
     Rangel, who as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee 
     controls writing of the nation's tax laws. The New York 
     Democrat may write those laws, but he apparently feels no 
     obligation to obey them. The investigation appears to have a 
     long way to go. The man who is in charge of writing the 
     nation's tax laws doesn't pay his federal income or local 
     property taxes. He has such a poor grasp of his own finances 
     that he neglects to list half his assets on a disclosure form 
     intended to keep members of Congress accountable and honest. 
     We can already hear the defense of the next tax deadbeat 
     called into court. ``If Charlie Rangel doesn't have to pay 
     his taxes, why should I?'';
       Whereas an article in The Washington Post on September 15, 
     2009 stated, ``Rangel is now the chairman of the House Ways 
     and Means Committee and a man of immense importance in 
     Washington. Nonetheless, he has been busy of late revising 
     and amending the record, backing and filling, using buckets 
     of Wite-Out as he discovers or remembers properties he has 
     owned in New York, New Jersey, Florida, the Dominican 
     Republic and God only knows where else. Rangel recently even 
     discovered bank accounts that no one in the world, apparently 
     including him, knew he had. One was with the Congressional 
     Federal Credit Union; another was with Merrill Lynch--each 
     valued between $250,000 and $500,000. He somehow neglected to 
     mention these accounts on his congressional disclosure forms, 
     which means, if you can believe it, that when he signed the 
     forms, he did not notice that maybe $1 million was missing. 
     Someone ought to check the lighting in his office.'';
       Whereas the same article in The Washington Post stated, 
     ``There is something wrong with Charlie Rangel. Either he did 
     not notice that he was worth about twice as much as he said 
     he was--which is downright worrisome in a congressional 
     leader--or he thinks he's above the law, which is downright 
     worrisome in a congressional leader.'';
       Whereas it has been more than one year since 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 at various times during the past twelve months 
     Representative Rangel and Speaker Pelosi have made public 
     statements asserting that the ongoing investigation of 
     Representative Rangel by the Committee on Standards of 
     Official Conduct would soon be concluded;
       Whereas the Committee has to date issued no public 
     statements concerning any expected time line for conducting 
     or concluding its investigation of Representative Rangel;
       Whereas major daily newspapers, including The New York 
     Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Post have called 
     for Representative Rangel's removal from his powerful 
     position at least until the House Ethics Committee has 
     completed its ongoing probes of allegations against him;
       Whereas Representative Rangel's powerful position as 
     chairman permits him to participate in high level decisions 
     about critically important issues such as reform of the 
     nation's health care system;
       Whereas an October 1, 2009 story in The New York Times 
     stated, ``Mr. Rangel is one of a small group of House leaders 
     now meeting almost daily behind closed doors with Speaker 
     Nancy Pelosi to distill from the three bills produced in 
     separate committees the one package that will go to the House 
     floor.'';
       Whereas an Associated Press story on September 20, 2009 
     stated, ``The ethics committee's investigation of Rangel is 
     almost a year old. It's as much a problem for House 
     Democratic leaders as for Rangel himself. Later this year, 
     when Rangel's committee considers estate tax legislation that 
     could expand into other matters, the headlines will be a 
     version of this message: `Tax scofflaw presiding over tax 
     changes.''';
       Whereas the New York Post newspaper reported on September 
     2, 2009 that, ``A review of property records for the borough 
     of Glassboro revealed at least six tax liens levied against 
     Rangel's property during the past 16 years. Just last year, 
     two separate liens were levied against both properties owned 
     by Rangel.'';
       Whereas on May 24, 2006, then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi 
     cited ``high ethical standards'' in a letter to former 
     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;
       Whereas Speaker Pelosi took the aforementioned action while 
     Representative Jefferson was under investigation and the 
     subject of considerable controversy in the news media, but 
     prior to any indictment;
       Whereas in April of 2007, Republican Leader John Boehner 
     successfully urged several Republican Members to relinquish 
     their committee assignments after learning that each had 
     become the subject of investigations into possible criminal 
     activity;
       Whereas Leader Boehner took the aforementioned actions 
     while the Members in question were under investigation and 
     the subjects of widespread media controversy, but prior to 
     any indictments; and
       Whereas in the wake of the most recent allegations against 
     Representative Rangel various editorials and articles in 
     major national newspapers criticizing Speaker Pelosi's 
     continued refusal to remove Representative Rangel as chairman 
     of the Committee on Ways and Means after promising she would 
     preside over ``the most ethical Congress in history'' have 
     held the House up to public ridicule: 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.

  Mr. ACKERMAN (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the resolution be deemed as read.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  The Clerk will continue.
  The Clerk continued to read.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution qualifies.


                            Motion to Refer

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the resolution be referred to 
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York is recognized 
for 1 hour.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, this motion would refer this matter to the 
appropriate committee.
  I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question 
on the motion.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous 
question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 and clause 9 of rule 
XX,

[[Page 23772]]

this 15-minute vote on ordering the previous question will be followed 
by 5-minute votes on the motion to refer and the motion to suspend on 
H. Res. 701.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 243, 
noes 156, answered ``present'' 19, not voting 14, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 758]

                               AYES--243

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Adler (NJ)
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Boccieri
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Bright
     Brown, Corrine
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carson (IN)
     Childers
     Chu
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly (VA)
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Dahlkemper
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly (IN)
     Doyle
     Driehaus
     Edwards (MD)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Engel
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Foster
     Frank (MA)
     Fudge
     Giffords
     Gonzalez
     Gordon (TN)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Halvorson
     Hare
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Heinrich
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hodes
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick (MI)
     Kilroy
     Kind
     King (NY)
     Kirkpatrick (AZ)
     Kissell
     Klein (FL)
     Kosmas
     Kratovil
     Kucinich
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Lee (CA)
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Lynch
     Maffei
     Markey (CO)
     Markey (MA)
     Marshall
     Massa
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McIntyre
     McMahon
     McNerney
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Minnick
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy (NY)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murtha
     Nadler (NY)
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Nye
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Perriello
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree (ME)
     Polis (CO)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Richardson
     Rodriguez
     Rohrabacher
     Ross
     Rothman (NJ)
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schauer
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sestak
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Space
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Teague
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Towns
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Wexler
     Wilson (OH)
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)

                               NOES--156

     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Austria
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barrett (SC)
     Barton (TX)
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bono Mack
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Broun (GA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Cao
     Capito
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Castle
     Chaffetz
     Coble
     Coffman (CO)
     Cole
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Deal (GA)
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers
     Emerson
     Fallin
     Flake
     Fleming
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Guthrie
     Hall (TX)
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hoekstra
     Hunter
     Inglis
     Issa
     Jenkins
     Johnson (IL)
     Jones
     Jordan (OH)
     King (IA)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kline (MN)
     Lamborn
     Lance
     LaTourette
     Latta
     Lee (NY)
     Lewis (CA)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lummis
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     McCarthy (CA)
     McClintock
     McCotter
     McHenry
     McKeon
     McMorris Rodgers
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Moran (KS)
     Murphy, Tim
     Nunes
     Olson
     Paul
     Paulsen
     Pence
     Petri
     Pitts
     Platts
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Putnam
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Scalise
     Schmidt
     Schock
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Stearns
     Sullivan
     Taylor
     Terry
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Upton
     Wamp
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Young (FL)

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--19

     Bartlett
     Bonner
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Castor (FL)
     Chandler
     Conaway
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Green, Gene
     Harper
     Hastings (WA)
     Latham
     McCaul
     Myrick
     Poe (TX)
     Quigley
     Walden
     Welch

                             NOT VOTING--14

     Carney
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Eshoo
     Johnson, Sam
     Larson (CT)
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Mack
     Maloney
     Neugebauer
     Radanovich
     Speier
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Wasserman Schultz


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes 
remaining in this vote.

                              {time}  1346

  Mr. ADERHOLT changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
  Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Messrs. BAIRD and CHILDERS 
changed their vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``present.''
  Messrs. LATHAM and BARTLETT changed their vote from ``no'' to 
``present.''
  So the previous question was ordered.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Stated for:
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 758, had I 
been present, I would have voted ``aye.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to refer.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 246, 
noes 153, answered ``present'' 19, not voting 14, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 759]

                               AYES--246

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Adler (NJ)
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Boccieri
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Bright
     Brown, Corrine
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carson (IN)
     Chu
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly (VA)
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Dahlkemper
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly (IN)
     Doyle
     Driehaus
     Edwards (MD)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Engel
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Foster
     Frank (MA)
     Fudge
     Giffords
     Gonzalez
     Gordon (TN)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Halvorson
     Hare
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Heinrich
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hodes
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick (MI)
     Kilroy
     Kind
     King (NY)
     Kirkpatrick (AZ)
     Kissell
     Klein (FL)
     Kosmas
     Kratovil
     Kucinich
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Lee (CA)
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Lynch
     Maffei
     Markey (CO)
     Markey (MA)
     Marshall
     Massa
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McIntyre
     McMahon
     McNerney
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Minnick
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy (NY)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Murtha
     Nadler (NY)
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Nye
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Paul
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Perriello
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree (ME)
     Polis (CO)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Richardson
     Rodriguez
     Rohrabacher
     Ross
     Rothman (NJ)
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush

[[Page 23773]]


     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schauer
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sestak
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Space
     Speier
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Teague
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Towns
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Wexler
     Wilson (OH)
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)

                               NOES--153

     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Austria
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett
     Barton (TX)
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bono Mack
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Broun (GA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Cao
     Capito
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Castle
     Chaffetz
     Childers
     Coble
     Coffman (CO)
     Cole
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Deal (GA)
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers
     Emerson
     Fallin
     Flake
     Fleming
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Guthrie
     Hall (TX)
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hoekstra
     Hunter
     Inglis
     Issa
     Jenkins
     Johnson (IL)
     Jordan (OH)
     King (IA)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kline (MN)
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Latta
     Lee (NY)
     Lewis (CA)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lummis
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     McCarthy (CA)
     McClintock
     McCotter
     McHenry
     McKeon
     McMorris Rodgers
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Moran (KS)
     Nunes
     Olson
     Paulsen
     Pence
     Petri
     Pitts
     Platts
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Putnam
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Scalise
     Schmidt
     Schock
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Stearns
     Sullivan
     Taylor
     Terry
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Upton
     Wamp
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Young (FL)

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--19

     Bonner
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Castor (FL)
     Chandler
     Conaway
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Green, Gene
     Harper
     Hastings (WA)
     Latham
     McCaul
     Myrick
     Poe (TX)
     Quigley
     Simpson
     Walden
     Welch

                             NOT VOTING--14

     Carney
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Eshoo
     Johnson, Sam
     Larson (CT)
     LaTourette
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Mack
     Maloney
     McGovern
     Neugebauer
     Radanovich
     Tsongas
     Turner

                              {time}  1353

  Mr. WELCH changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``present.''
  So the motion to refer was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 759, had I 
been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

                          ____________________