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Speaker Hastert Announces Page Program Tip Line Number

October 5, 2006 | House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert today announced the official Page tip line number. Following is his statement:

"As the Speaker I take responsibility for everything in the building. The buck stops here. The safety and security of the students in the Page program is imperative.

"That is why I directed the Clerk of the House to establish a hotline for reporting any information concerning Pages or the Page program. As of this morning, the Clerk of the House has activated the tip-line. It is for anyone with information regarding the Foley matter. This number can also be used to report any other concerns regarding the Page program.

"The Page program tip line is 866-348-0481."

The greeting for the tip line is as follows:

"Thank you for calling the tip line for the United States House of Representatives. If you have information regarding former Congressman Mark Foley and his contacts or communications with any current or former House Pages, or any other information or concern about the House Page program, please leave your information at the tone. Please speak slowly and clearly, and please spell out any names to which you refer. You are encouraged, but not required, to leave your name and contact information. You should be aware of any information you provide may be referred to federal and state law enforcement authorities and/or to House investigative authorities. Thank you for your call."

"All information will be collected and maintained. Information concerning the Foley matter or other similar activities will be shared with the appropriate authorities. Experts and professionals will be consulted who specialize in these kinds of matters for recommendations on the monitoring, handling and response to these calls."

 


Statements on Congressman Mark Foley:

October 2, 2006 | As the chairman of the House Page Board, I have a responsibility to protect the students participating in the program and former participants. I have been honored to serve in this role and we have worked hard to make the Page program the best program possible.

In fact, the College Board recognized the Page program with an award for top honors in the preparation of students for college.

The instant messages Mark Foley reportedly sent to a former page are deplorable. When I learned of these instant messages last Friday from ABC News reports, the very thought of this behavior made me sick. Mark Foley should be ashamed.

The page program is a valuable part of this institution. Pages have played an important role in Congress' operation since the early 1800s. The integrity of the program must be maintained.

In recent years we have made many improvements including constructing a new page dorm with state of the art security measures. We've also increased adult supervision for them. In the wake of 9-11, we implemented new enhanced transportation and notification systems for the safety of pages. The safety and protection of our Pages has been a top priority in these changes and others.

Last week, I personally met with the current House Pages. I told them that we are committed to their safety and protection and that we will stay in constant contact with them.

In addition, as the Speaker said, we are setting up a 1-800 number which can be used to report ANY concerns and can be used by pages, former and current, and their family members or others with concerns.

In the days ahead, I will be working with members of the Page Board and others, from both inside and outside of the Congress, to make sure Pages are safe both when they are in charge and when they return home.

As the father of three boys, I am personally mindful everyday of just how difficult it is to protect our children, especially in the world of the internet and text messages. I am determined to do everything that we can to make sure that this kind of incident will never happen again.

 

September 29, 2006 |As chairman of the bipartisan House Page Board in late 2005, I was notified by the then Clerk of the House, who manages the Page Program, that he had been told by Congressman Rodney Alexander about an email exchange between Congressman Foley and a former House Page. I took immediate action to investigate the matter.

In that email exchange, Congressman Foley asked about the former Page's well-being after Hurricane Katrina and requested a photograph. When asked about the email exchange, Congressman Foley said he expressed concern about the Page's well-being and wanted a photo to see that the former Page was alright.

Congressman Foley told the Clerk and me that he was simply acting as a mentor to this former House Page and that nothing inappropriate had occurred. Nevertheless, we ordered Congressman Foley to cease all contact with this former House Page to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. We also advised him to be especially mindful of his conduct with respect to current and former House Pages, and he assured us he would do so. I received no subsequent complaints about his behavior nor was I ever made aware of any additional emails.

It has become clear to me today, based on information I only now have learned, that Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct.

As Chairman of the House Page Board, I am working with the Clerk to fully review this incident and determine what actions need to be taken.

The House Page Program has been an integral part of the House of Representatives for many decades. Preserving the integrity of the House Page Program is of utmost importance to me and to the House of Representatives, and we intend to uphold and protect its values and traditions.

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