EDITORIAL: Remove Rangel from Tax Panel

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., understands something that continues to escape House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is radioactive, owing to multiple investigations of his serial failures to disclose millions of dollars worth of income and investments.

Rangel had contributed more than $19,000 to Welch, but the Vermonter recently sent it back. That was a good decision because Welch is a member of the House Ethics Committee, which is conducting one of the investigations of Rangel. But it shouldn’t be necessary to be on the ethics panel in order to understand that Rangel’s actions disgrace Congress, make him unfit to chair the powerful tax-writing committee, and render campaign donations from him as dirty money. Over the years, Rangel has given more than $2.1 million to House colleagues. Each of the many recipients of Rangel’s tainted dough should give it back. This newspaper will track those who do and those who don’t.

Pelosi reportedly is sticking by Rangel despite mounting pressure to at least remove him from the Ways and Means chairmanship. But Pelosi is not unique among House Democrats standing by their man. In last week’s vote on the motion by Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, to remove Rangel from the chairmanship, only two Democrats voted with the Republicans.

Read more: (Editorial, “Remove Rangel from Tax Panel,” The San Francisco Examiner, 10/17/09)