CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
– ETHICS
May 28, 2009 – 2:01 p.m.
Vulnerable Democrats Urge Close Scrutiny of Colleagues
By Bennett Roth, CQ Staff
Swept into office partly on promises to end a “culture of corruption,” many potentially vulnerable Democratic newcomers are pressing House leaders to confront allegations of unethical conduct involving fellow Democrats.
Discontent over ethics has been underscored in votes on Republican-sponsored privileged resolutions calling on the House ethics committee to probe the ties between the defunct lobbying firm PMA and powerful Democrats including John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, Defense Appropriations Subcommittee chairman.
Democrats have rejected the resolution eight times, most recently on May 12. But 29 Democrats — including 22 first elected in 2006 and 2008 — voted for the measure sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake , R-Ariz.
Almost a third of the 34 Democratic freshmen, or 11 members, bucked their leadership, which has pressed rank-and-file members to oppose the resolution, saying that if Republicans have a gripe, they should file a complaint with the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
Another unsuccessful GOP measure offered just before the Memorial Day recess would have barred funding for the lightly used John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria Airport, a facility in Murtha’s district. Murtha has used his perch on the Appropriations Committee to steer considerable federal funding to the facility. That measure, too, won support of 11 Democrats, all but one first elected in 2006 and 2008.
Rep. Tom Perriello , a 34-year old freshman Democrat from southwest Virginia who backed both measures, said that while he understood Republicans were involved in “some partisan game playing,” he wanted to send a message that he backed reform.
“We want clean government. A lot of us ran on that. We think the rules are still broken,” Perriello said.
In the 2008 elections, Perriello narrowly edged out GOP incumbent Virgil H. Goode, Jr. after campaigning that he wanted to replace “the culture of corruption” with “the culture of service.”
Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report, said that the rebellion among newer members indicates a nervousness about their future electoral prospects as well as a generational divide over how lawmakers should do business.
“There is a line of fracture within the party. These newcomers — they are more ethics-sensitive than the guys who have been in there two or three decades,” he said.
The 76-year-old Murtha was first elected in 1974 and over the years has amassed considerable power as a defense appropriator responsible for doling out hundreds of billions in federal funds. He has remained popular in his southwest Pennsylvania district, bringing substantial federal funds in form of earmarks and other grants to an area hit by industrial decline.
Most of the newcomers who voted for the Flake resolution were elected in districts previously represented by Republicans and likely face competitive races in 2010. The resolution has attracted limited but growing Democratic support since it was first introduced earlier this year. The two latest defectors were elected this spring in special elections: Scott Murphy of upstate New York and Mike Quigley of Illinois.
Policing Their Own
When Republicans controlled the House from 1995 to 2007, Democrats made a big issue of the majority’s ethical woes. Democrats hammered Republicans for their ties to K Street, particularly lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was sent to prison after pleading guilty in 2006 to various corruption charges.
After the Democrats took control of Congress following the 2006 elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., ushered in a number of changes. These included more transparency for earmarks — the funding attached to spending bills for specific projects sought by lawmakers — and the creation of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), a quasi-independent body that takes complaints from outside individuals and groups.
But Democrats have been beset by their own ethical problems. The House ethics committee is currently investigating alleged financial and fund-raising improprieties by House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel , D-N.Y.
There have been a blizzard of news reports regarding PMA, the now-defunct lobbying firm that specialized in defense-related earmarks and whose Virginia offices were raided by the FBI last year. The firm sought earmarks from House Democrats including Murtha, James P. Moran of Virginia and Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana. Those three also received substantial campaign contributions from PMA principals and their relatives. Visclosky, who has announced he is returning PMA-related contributions, has voted for the Flake resolution.
More recently, Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. , D-Ill., confirmed that the OCE was looking at his conduct with regard to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama . Jackson has said that neither he nor anyone acting on his behalf had offered then Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich anything in return for a possible appointment.
Democrats have sought to quiet concerns among their members. Pelosi, for example, enlisted Howard L. Berman , D-Calif., a former ethics committee chairman, to outline how lawmakers with complaints should file them directly with the ethics panel.
Before the last vote on the Flake resolution, Rep. Chris Van Hollen , D-Md., a Pelosi ally and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, sent an e-mail to new House members. The message stated, “Don’t be a Flake.”
But Van Hollen said he also conveyed in the email that those who had already voted for the Flake resolution could continue doing so.
“I think there are going to be opportunities in the future to make sure our members go down the route of ethics reform,” Van Hollen said.
Democratic leaders have noted that the OCE is already investigating 10 cases, an indication that the PMA allegations could be under review. The OCE does not divulge the cases it is investigating unless it refers a matter to the ethics committee, and that panel does not act within 45 days.
However, Rep. Jim Himes , a freshman Democrat from Connecticut who has voted repeatedly for the Flake resolution, said he was not convinced Democratic leaders were doing enough to combat the perception of influence peddling.
“I wish they would do more,” said Himes, who in 2008 defeated Republican incumbent Chris Shays (1987-2009). “To me it’s a no-brainer that if you get someone earmarks, they can’t contribute to your campaign.”
Freshman Rep. John Boccieri , D-Ohio, who replaced GOP Rep. Ralph Regula (1973-2009), said he voted for the Flake resolution because he favors transparency. But the lawmaker also said he doubted the ethics committee has the resources to launch an investigation.
With new leadership, the ethics committee has been slow in getting started. The committee only recently hired a new chief counsel and still has not filled a number of other top vacancies.
Several other freshmen who have not voted for the Flake resolution say that while they support earmark changes, they do not believe that voting on a privileged resolution is the way to institute change.
“The Flake resolution leapfrogs the ethics process,” said Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly , who was elected last year to a northern Virginia district formerly held by Republican Thomas M. Davis III (1995-2009). Connolly said that while ethics reviews may drag out, “you want it to be deliberative.”
Rep. Chellie Pingree , a freshman Democrat from Maine and former president of the watchdog group Common Cause, did not vote for the Flake resolution and said the House should focus on passing legislation such as a bill to create public financing of elections.
Despite some differences on approach, Pingree said that the freshmen will continue to agitate to change some longtime practices on Capitol Hill.
“When you are new here you have a different perspective,” she said.
Comments
Representative Himes is right. The Democratic leadership is NOT doing enough to combat the perspective (if not the reality of) corruption. For independents like me, this is a HUGE issue. If the Democratic Party doesn't wipe out corruption, they may give a third party an opening that will be impossible to close.
Turnabout, as is said, is, quite indeed, fairplay. Both suffer from corruption among some of their members.
Combating the 'perception' of ethics violations falls way short. What both parties lack is not the resources but the will to police their own. If certain members are truly on the side of ethical politics and transparency and are hampered by legislative 'process'.....let them use the media as a platform for their concerns. If the media will give these issues the same coverage as they did say Britney Spears and other drivel......the American people will rally behind them.
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