Kildee responds to page board resignations

The chairman of the House Page Board on Friday said he regretted the decision of two House Republicans to resign from the board due to allegations they were not informed about page infractions.

Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) said he was sorry to see Reps. Ginny Brown-Waite (Fla.) and Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) resign, but “deeply appreciates their concerned and conscientious service.”

Kildee said he too was unsatisfied with the “manner and timeliness” in which the board was informed of page infractions, but he stressed that pages who were found in serious violation of their code of conduct were immediately expelled and sent home.

{mosads}Brown-Waite and Capito resigned because they said there were not informed about the dismissals of some pages for shoplifting, and others for inappropriate sexual activity. In a statement, Brown-Waite blamed her resignation on the “failed leadership” of the House clerk, and that she resigned to illustrate the management problems of the page program.

In the page board meeting of Nov. 9, the board unanimously agreed that the clerk should immediately and simultaneously inform all members in cases where pages were dismissed from the program, he said.

Kildee said he would look forward to working with whomever replaces the resigned members, and said the board would continue to work to improve the page program.

“I look forward to working with the two new Republican members of the House Page Board who will be appointed by the House Republican Leadership,” Kildee said in a statement. “The House page program provides a unique educational opportunity for high school students from around the country. The House Page Board will work to ensure that it continues to do so and that it continues to improve.”

The new problems at the board follow last year’s scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), who resigned after sexual e-mails he had sent to pages became public. The scandal was seen as contributing to Republicans losing control of the House after last year’s elections.

Kildee explained how he and Capito sponsored a measure expanding the page board earlier this year to include two members of the House from each party, the House clerk and sergeant at arms and two outside members, a former page and a parent of a page.

The board sets the policy for the page program while the clerk manages the program on a day-to-day basis, he explained, noting that since April the board has held five meetings to examine and reform the program’s procedures and policies.