Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PICKERING STATEMENT – November 9, 2006
Contact: BRIAN PERRY: 601-932-4647

PICKERING DEMANDS RANGEL APOLOGY
Repudiates incoming Democrat chairman’s insult to Mississippi

(PEARL, MISS) – Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) is expected to be the next chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee which oversees tax legislation. Today's New York Times quoted him saying, "Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?"

Today Congressman Chip Pickering responded, “Mr. Rangel owes the people of Mississippi an apology. I hope his remarks are not the kind of insults, slander, and defamation that Mississippians will come to expect from the Democrat leadership in Washington, D.C.”

Pickering continued, “I have friends and colleagues from New York that are fine people and I’ve visited their state and think it is a wonderful place. But I love Mississippi. I would rather live in Mississippi, raise my family in Mississippi, and serve Mississippi - and there are millions of Mississippians who agree with me.”

“From the Coast to the Delta to the Pinebelt to the Hills and across Mississippi, there is beauty in every city, charity in every heart, love in every church, and majesty in every countryside. When I travel this state I see it in the resolute handshakes, the hospitable smiles, and the sincere prayers of our neighbors: we love Mississippi and we are proud and happy to live here,” Pickering said.

Pickering concluded, “Last year, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Coast. We have been working hard not only to rebuild our own homes and communities, but also to repair and protect the network of refineries, pipelines, and transmission grids that supply energy, gas, and oil to the rest of the country, including New York. If Mr. Rangel believes those efforts required more than our fair share of federal money, he is welcome to send that energy back to our state and find an alternative supply. At the very least, he should send us an apology,” Pickering said.

Chip Pickering will soon begin serving his sixth term in the United States Congress, representing the Third District of Mississippi. He is currently assistant majority whip and Vice-Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.