House rolls back ethics rules changes

updated 8:52 p.m. ET April 27, 2005

WASHINGTON - The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to reverse Republican-written rules that led Democrats to shut down the ethics committee. Republicans backed the resolution grudgingly.

The Republicans, accused of writing the rules to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay from investigations, heeded Speaker Dennis Hastert’s call for a retreat in order to end the deadlock on the evenly divided panel. The vote was 406-20.

In debate, Democrats continued to attack DeLay’s conduct. Republicans countered that they didn’t make a mistake but accepted political reality: In a committee with five members of each party, Democrats would not supply any votes to let the committee operate without a reversal of the rules.

“We were absolutely right,” said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif.

‘To protect one man from investigation’
Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y. countered, “When they thought no one was looking, they passed a package that effectively neutered the committee ... to protect one man from investigation.”

All votes against the resolution were cast by Republicans.

Debate was bitterly partisan.

“The Democrats remain absolutely unwilling to compromise,” said Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., the committee chairman. “It is severely damaging to this institution for the other side of the aisle to keep the doors locked on the ethics committee.”

Senior committee Democrat Alan Mollohan of West Virginia countered that the Republican rules would have seriously damaged the committee’s ability to conduct investigations.

“What is at issue is . . . whether the House is going to continue to have a credible ethics process. Nothing less than this is at stake here tonight.”

Hastings tried to assure the House that there would be no partisanship in any decision to investigate DeLay or any other member.

“No investigation has ever been taken by the committee without bipartisan support,” said Hastings, who last week offered to investigate DeLay in a futile effort to break the deadlock.

Firestorm of criticism
The Republican lawmakers had endured weeks of intense Democratic criticism — and hometown editorials — complaining that the GOP rule changes were an attempt to protect DeLay from further investigation.

DeLay, R-Texas, was admonished by the committee on three 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. DeLay has denied wrongdoing and has volunteered to appear before the ethics committee.

Republicans leaving their weekly meeting in the Capitol basement generally praised Hastert for pivoting on the issue. DeLay seemed annoyed at the crowd of reporters.

“You guys better get out of my way,” he said. “Where’s our security?”

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