House Defeats Rangel Censure
House Democrats easily turned aside Republicans half-hearted effort to tar Democrats with questions of ethical lapses Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon, they handily defeated, 254 to 138, a resolution to censure powerful House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) that had been drafted by Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). Voting present were 34 members.
In a floor speech before the vote, Rangel noted that while there is no one in this House more thick-skinned when playing politics, the attacks on his reputation based on news reports were unfair.
Theres no reason for Republicans or Democrats to do that to each other based on a newspaper story, Rangel said.
The resolution cited news reports questioning Rangels use of rent-controlled apartments in New York that are owned by a powerful developer.