Rep. Slaughter's Floor
Remarks on House Ethics
Ranking Member of the House Committee on
Rules takes to House Floor lambasting GOP on Ethics.

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Rules Committee Ranking Member, took to the House Floor this morning to address the Ethics Crisis in Congress and the need for bi-partisan hearings on Ethics in the Rules Committee.  The following are her remarks as given:

Rep. Louise M. Slaughter's Remarks:

"Madam Speaker,

A dark cloud of corruption hangs over this House of Representatives

And with no Ethics Committee or reasonable ethical standards to speak of...there is no hope that the dark cloud will recede, and the daylight will be let in.

By systematically dismantling the House Ethics process, the Majority has denied this House the right to investigate its own members and thus betrayed our core American values.

Honesty...integrity...accountability... Values which should be the hallmark of this government - have instead been thrown under the bus by an arrogant Majority... Casualties in a misguided campaign to shield from accountability those who abuse this House.

This House cannot function without an open, accountable, and independent ethics process... And the molestation of that process by the Majority is an abuse of power that cannot stand.

It is for these reasons I have repeatedly asked The Chairman of the Rules Committee to hold a bi-partisan ethics hearing... As guardians of the Democratic process - our Committee has a unique responsibility to protect the integrity of this hallowed institution.

What are we waiting for?

The dark cloud must be lifted, the air must be cleansed and the ethics rules of this House must be fully restored... The very credibility of this government, and its ability to lead the American people, hangs in the balance."