VIDEO: Three GOP Reps. attack Pelosi

Three House Republicans blasted Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for leaving a “series of scandals” unresolved during her tenure, including the latest involving what Pelosi knew about the CIA’s interrogations of suspected terrorists.

House GOP Secretary John Carter (R-Texas), as well as Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) took to the floor Monday night to express their dismay over the unresolved ethics investigation into Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) tax lapses and other alleged ethics violations, as well the recent finger-pointing and allegations of lying on both sides of the CIA interrogation issue.

Pelosi said Thursday that the CIA had lied to her in 2002 about its waterboarding of a detainee. CIA Director Leon Panetta, a lifelong Democrat, pushed back the next day in a memo to CIA officials and staff saying that the CIA had briefed members of Congress truthfully.

Carter accused Pelosi of failing to uphold her 2006 campaign promise to establish the “most honest, most open, and most ethical” Congress, arguing that instead she has become a “stumbling block” to resolving these issues.

Carter said he was particularly upset about the controversy between Pelosi and the CIA.

“I don’t like the word liar, and I’m not going to use it,” he said. “But either Ms. Pelosi is not telling the truth, or the CIA is not telling the truth, and this issue must be resolved.”

If the CIA lied to Congress as Pelosi alleged last week, Kirk said that act constitutes a felony and should be prosecuted.

“Lying to Congress is a felony, and if it occurred, we should press charges and demand a trial, and let the cards fall where they may,” Kirk said.

Gohmert complained about Democrats’ refusal to allow the minority to offer and add amendments to legislation.

“Democrats made clear statements on what ethical standards would be enacted in the House while Republicans were still in the majority – including promises on fair debate and amendments on legislation, with the minority allowed input on all bills,” he said. “Maybe they just forgot that they kept making these promises in 2006 and 2008.”

In an apparent call for the ethics committee to become more active in resolving ethics allegations, Carter said Congress should be responsible for policing itself.

“Truth and honesty is a goal we set for ourselves as a nation,” Carter said. “Lets resolve these issues. We could resolve them at the ballot box, but there should be more pride in this institution than that.”

Check out video of the remarks below.

– Susan Crabtree