Press Releases - Moran Statement on Future of the House Page Program

Moran Statement on Future of the House Page Program

"Punish the Perpetrators not the Pages"

Washington, D.C., October 5th - Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, issued the following statement regarding questions about the future of the House Page Program due to the scandal involving ex-Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) and the subsequent cover-up by members of the House Republican Leadership.

"We should be punishing the perpetrators, not the pages," said Moran. "The House Page Program has been around for over 160 years. It is geared toward young idealists, eager to learn about government first hand. To shutdown an educational opportunity that has been a positive experience and training ground for tomorrow's leaders would be short-sighted. Representative Foley and Republicans involved in the cover-up of the scandal should be the ones held accountable for their actions, not the House Page Program."

Moran observed that last year, the House Page Program was recognized as offering the best AP history curriculum in the nation for high schools with 500 or fewer students.

"Parents who send their children to work as House pages expect them to be safe from predators. We must take whatever steps necessary to ensure that something like this never happens again. Proposals to eliminate the program entirely are not responsible action but rather political over-reaction."

http://www.moran.house.gov/issues2.cfm?id=12239