The Gloves Are Off :Nancy Pelosi [View All]

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Today, I offered my eleventh privileged resolution to hold the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress accountable for its abuse of power and ethical lapses. And for the eleventh time, the Republicans voted to shut down debate on these issues. My friends, when an innocent man is accused of a crime, he works to clear his name. He does not do everything in his power to sweep that crime under the rug.

This latest move to cover up the truth killed my resolution to direct the Ethics Committee to immediately investigate the misconduct by Members of Congress and their staff connected to the criminal activity of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Two high-ranking Republican Leadership staffers have already pled guilty, revealing what the Washington Post described as a "far-reaching criminal enterprise operating out of" the Republican Leader's office, "an enterprise that helped sway legislation, influence public policy, and enrich its main players." (The Washington Post, April 1, 2006)

Unfortunately, Congressman Tom Delay's friends and allies have dismantled the Congressional ethics process. They rewrote the bipartisan rules of the Ethics Committee, removed the Chairman and other Members on the Committee who refused to cooperate, and unilaterally fired non-partisan staff and attempted to replace them with key Republican staffers in supervisory positions. Pressure from Democrats and people like you forced the Republicans to rescind those changes. But the Ethics Committee still remains dormant and toothless, unable to do its job and severely shaking the nation's faith in the honor and competence of the U.S. House of Representatives.

By continually denying even a debate on my privileged resolutions, the Republicans in Congress are sending a loud and clear message to the American people. And that message is this: "We can do whatever we want. The rules and laws that govern you do not apply to us. You cannot stop us. You cannot punish us. And you cannot hold us accountable."

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/5/193015/8981