Sutton and Mitchell Call for Rangel’s Gavel

Two politically vulnerable Democrats on Monday called for Rep. Charles Rangel to step down as Ways and Means Committee chairman.

Reps. Betty Sutton (Ohio) and Harry Mitchell (Ariz.) have joined the ranks of Democrats calling for the New York Democrat to relinquish his gavel in the wake of the ethics committee finding that Rangel violated House rules.

“I think that in order to preserve the public trust, which is of the highest priority, Rep. Rangel should, at this point, step aside as chair of the Ways and Means Committee,” Sutton said in a statement to The Hill. “Our nation is facing many challenges and we must put all our energy, without distraction or question, into meeting those challenges.”

Mitchell has notified Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of his concerns on the matter, his spokesman told The Hill on Monday. Mitchell defeated former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) in 2006 after Hayworth took a beating in the press for his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

There are now seven Democrats who have publicly called and/or voted to have Rangel give up his chairmanship: Reps. Bobby Bright (Ala.), Travis Childers (Miss.), Paul Hodes (N.H.), Mitchell, Mike Quigley (Ill.), Sutton and Gene Taylor (Miss.).

Read more: (Susan Crabtree, “Two More House Dems Demand Rangel Step Down as Panel Head,” The Hill, 3/02/10)