After being found in violation by the House ethics panel, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) may soon (as in Wednesday) lose his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Not only are the Republicans pressuring speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to strip Rangel of the position, but many Democrats — especially those facing re-election this year — are joining the chorus. Republicans are planning to force a vote this week on whether to remove his chairmanship, but a few Democrats are already asking for him to step down:
Rangel suffered a significant blow Tuesday afternoon when Rep. Artur Davis – a member of both the Ways and Means Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus who’s running for governor back home in Alabama – issued a statement in which he said the chairman “should do the right thing and step aside.”
Rumors of Rangel’s immediate removal coursed through the Capitol Tuesday evening after a Democratic leadership meeting but before Rangel gathered with Pelosi and their respective aides to discuss the situation in her office.
Rangel said afterward that he still held the gavel, but Pelosi offered only a terse “no comment” when asked if her longtime ally would remain chairman.
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Reps. Paul Hodes (N.H.), Brad Ellsworth (Ind.), Artur Davis (Ala.), Bobby Bright (Ala.), Gene Taylor (Miss.), Mike Quigley (Ill.), Betty Sutton (Ohio), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Zack Space (Ohio), Debbie Halvorson (Ill.), John Adler (N.J.), Ann Kirkpatrick (Ariz.), Jim Hines (Conn.) and Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.) have said publicly – either personally or through aides — that they plan to join Republicans in voting to remove Rangel.
Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) has voted with Republicans to replace Rangel in the past but has not issued any public statement at this point.
Another lawmaker told POLITICO that he will vote against Rangel if the chairman doesn’t step down voluntarily first – but that he wants to give Rangel the chance to make that decision on his own.
House Republicans will need 39 votes from across the aisle assuming all GOP members vote to remove Rangel’s chairmanship.
Unless he decides to quit first?
