FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 17, 2004

CONTACT: Stacey Farnen Bernards 202-225-3130

HOYER: REPUBLICANS SELL SOUL TO STAY IN POWER

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement in response to a rules change approved by the House Republican Conference that will allow leaders indicted by a state grand jury to continue to serve:

“Today, Republicans sold their collective soul to maintain their grip on power.

“They unabashedly abandoned any pretense of holding themselves to a high ethical standard by deciding to ignore criminal indictments of their leaders as reason for removal from leadership posts in the Republican Party.

“Their actions are proof positive that Republicans are no longer the party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt but of Richard Nixon.  And it shows that while Republicans talk a lot about representing mainstream American values, they plan to fall far short of upholding them in Congress.

“Once again, Republicans have sounded retreat from the reforms they committed themselves to ten years ago when they took power of the House.

“Ten years ago, I told the Washington Post that each party should set its own rules regarding party leaders who are indicted because ‘the offices they hold are party offices.’  Republicans have clearly made their choice today in setting such a low standard of integrity for their own leaders."

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