House tables motion censuring Rangel

Political fights over ethics intensified Thursday as the House slapped down a Republican motion to censure Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for abusing his power.

Democrats easily tabled the motion in a 254-138 vote. Twenty-five Republicans joined Democrats in jettisoning the resolution targeting the powerful chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, while 29 Republicans and five Democrats voted present. No Democrat voted against the motion to table.

The motion was seen as an attempt by House Republicans to change the topic from Sen. Ted Stevens’s (R-Alaska) indictment on felony charges. Stevens pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance on Thursday.

The resolution censuring Rangel focused on charges that he broke the House’s gift rule by controlling  our rent-controlled apartments in New York City. Rangel gave up one of the apartments, which he had used as a campaign office.

The resolution also mentioned a story in The Washington Post centering on whether he’d misused congressional letterhead to seek donations for a City College of New York educational center bearing his name.

He then sent two letters to the ethics panel asking it to “review” the allegations.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) described the resolution as an attempt to “protect the honor and integrity” of the House. “If we fail to pass this resolution, the House will be telling the American people members of Congress are above the law,” he said.

Rangel took to the floor to defend himself, arguing that the allegations have no merit and Republicans were taking political games too far.

“There’s no one as thick-skinned [as] I am in playing politics, but playing with someone’s reputation, especially someone who’s felt so honored to serve in this House, I really think goes a step beyond that,” he said.

“I’ve never felt more secure that I’m violating no law or no spirit of the law … there is no need to say that I am a discredit to the U.S. Congress based on newspaper articles,” he said.

Rangel held a press conference earlier this month in which he said he welcomed an ethics investigation into the allegations in order to clear his name and clarify House rules.