House GOP seeks Murtha reprimand

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) has accused Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) of threatening him on the House floor and plans to force the full House to vote next week on whether to reprimand him.

A week ago Rogers offered a procedural motion to the fiscal 2008 intelligence bill that would have prevented funding for an earmark Murtha sponsored to authorize $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center, a government agency based in his district.

{mosads}Rogers said Murtha approached him on the House floor Thursday and told him: “I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone and you will not get any earmarks now and forever.”

Rogers argues that the threat is a violation of House rules, which preclude members from conditioning earmarks on a members’ vote. House Rule XXIII, Clause 16 states that members “may not condition the inclusion of language to provide funding for a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit in any [legislation].”

Rogers’ resolution to reprimand Murtha does not seek an ethics committee investigation into the matter.

Murtha's office released the following statement: "The committee and staff give every Democrat and Republican the same consideration.  We have extensive hearings and every request is carefully considered.  We will continue to do just that."

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) strongly backed Rogers after he announced his intention to file a resolution seeking a reprimand of Murtha’s conduct.

“The resolution offered by Congressman Rogers outlines a blatant abuse of power stemming from a Republican-authored proposal to cut wasteful earmark spending from legislation pending before the House,” Boehner said in a statement. “…No member of Congress should be threatened or intimidated because of his or her efforts to crack down on wasteful spending and protect the interests of taxpayers.