4.28.2005
Hastert Urges GOP to Scrap Ethics Changes (SFGate.com)
By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
WASHINGTON, (AP) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert urged fellow Republicans on Wednesday to abandon new rules that led to an ethics committee shutdown and his members appeared ready to follow him in retreat.
"I'm willing to step back," Hastert said after a closed-door meeting with members of the GOP rank and file. Republicans prepared for a vote as early as Wednesday evening.
The Republican lawmakers have endured weeks of intense Democratic criticism and hometown editorials complaining about GOP rule changes that critics have seen as an attempt to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay from further investigation.
DeLay was admonished by the committee on three separate matters last year and new questions have been raised about whether a lobbyist paid for some of his foreign travel in violation of the rules.
The ethics rules in effect before the January changes allowed investigations to begin if the committee was evenly divided. The Republican changes provided for an automatic dismissal in case of a tie.
(More ... Hastert Urges GOP to Scrap Ethics Changes) ¶ 08:27
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
WASHINGTON, (AP) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert urged fellow Republicans on Wednesday to abandon new rules that led to an ethics committee shutdown and his members appeared ready to follow him in retreat.
"I'm willing to step back," Hastert said after a closed-door meeting with members of the GOP rank and file. Republicans prepared for a vote as early as Wednesday evening.
The Republican lawmakers have endured weeks of intense Democratic criticism and hometown editorials complaining about GOP rule changes that critics have seen as an attempt to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay from further investigation.
DeLay was admonished by the committee on three separate matters last year and new questions have been raised about whether a lobbyist paid for some of his foreign travel in violation of the rules.
The ethics rules in effect before the January changes allowed investigations to begin if the committee was evenly divided. The Republican changes provided for an automatic dismissal in case of a tie.
(More ... Hastert Urges GOP to Scrap Ethics Changes) ¶ 08:27
