Boehner Will Offer Resolution to Force House Ethics Committee Action on Whether Rep. Jefferson Should be Expelled from the House
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced today he will force a vote in the House of Representatives to refer the 94-page indictment of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) to the House Ethics Committee. The resolution will instruct the Ethics panel to review the serious allegations and evidence against Jefferson and report within 30 days on whether he should be expelled from the House for conduct that brings dishonor to the institution, jump-starting a stalled Ethics Committee process against Jefferson that was started during the 109th Congress but shut down by Democratic leaders in January 2007 when they took control of the House.
Boehner's resolution will also remove Jefferson from the House Small Business Committee and officially block Democratic leaders' effort to appoint the controversial lawmaker to the House Homeland Security Committee, which would have given him access to highly sensitive top secret information. Boehner issued the following statement:
"If the charges against Congressman Jefferson are true, he should be expelled from the House of Representatives, or he should resign to spare his constituents and colleagues any further indignity. If my Democratic colleagues are serious about holding all lawmakers to the highest standards of ethical conduct, they will support the Republican effort to remove Congressman Jefferson from his seat on the Small Business Committee and to refer the matter of his indictment on bribery, racketeering, and money-laundering charges to the House Ethics Committee for quick resolution. The American people rightfully expect the highest ethical standards from their elected leaders, and I urge Democrats to join our effort to force the Ethics Committee to do its work in the wake of Congressman Jefferson's indictment."
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