For Immediate Release

January 4, 2005

Washington, DC - Today on the floor of the House of Representatives Congressman Gene Green (D-Houston), member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, gave the following statement in opposition to the House Republican Rules for the 109th Congress:

 

“Despite what you may have read in the morning papers, the Republican leadership is eliminating a major traditional ethics standard of the House.

 

“While we are relieved that the Republican leadership did not to go as far as they wanted, we cannot be happy when the trend is clearly downwards, as it is today.

 

“The new rule means no ethics violations will be investigated if party leaders control their members, since a tie vote means dismissal.  The logical result is more partisan political pressure on Committee members.

 

“America was intended to be a city on a hill, with the highest standards for government in the world.  Sadly, we are now lowering that standard. 

 

“The majority is proud in their political power and their skills at political games.  While politics is an important part of our business, principles must be held above politics, because no man can serve two masters. 

 

“When we are guided only by political considerations, like the House leadership today, the House abandons its principles and moral compass.

 

“I do not enjoy serving on Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, but I know something about legislative ethics since I was first elected to the Texas State House following the Sharpstown bank scandal in 1972.

 

“Born and raised in the great State of Texas, I also know something about being conservative, but I cannot begin to explain how eliminating a traditional ethics standard is conservative in the slightest. 

 

“The House leadership can fool some of the people some of the time, like they did today when the papers said they were “dropping” ethics changes, when they clearly continue to weaken standards. 

 

“However, the people will recognize this for what it is: a weakening of their government’s ethics standards in pursuit of political power by one party, and the House should vote it down.”

 

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