Comments on THE DAILY DELAY: Votes on DeLay Rule

This is way late, but today, 4/28/05, Congressman ...

2005-04-28T17:08:00.000-05:00

This is way late, but today, 4/28/05, Congressman Hunter said on KLSD radio that he supported the vote and strongly defended it.

December 28, 2004 Thank you for contacting me reg...

2005-03-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

December 28, 2004

Thank you for contacting me regarding...

In 1993, House Republicans instituted a rule that would require leaders to step down if charged with a felony...

For your information, I voted to alter this rule. Let me be clear: [blah blah weak rationalizations...]

Sincerely,
John Linder
[Georgia 7th district]

I received my letter from Mark Green of Wisconsin....

2004-12-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

I received my letter from Mark Green of Wisconsin. He voted for the DeLay rule. The letter reads as follows:

"Thanks for contacting me about the recent House Republican Conference vote to change the rule providing for the removal of leaders under indictment. I'm glad you took the time to get in touch with me, and appreciate the chance to respond.

First, a lot of misconceptions have surfaced surrounding this rule change, and I think it's important to set the facts straight. One, this was an internal party vote that only affects members of the House Republican Conference. It was not a part of the official proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives, and did not come to the House floor for a vote. Two, no member of the House Republican leadership has actually been indicted. This matter was taken up to clarify existing conference rules governing the removal of party leaders if charges are brought against them.

Second, I strongly opposed the original version of the rule change that would have allowed House GOP leaders to simply keep their leadership posts while being indicted.

After much debate, a compromise rule change was brought forward that the conference approved by a voice vote. Under this plan, the existing Conference Steering Committee would examine any charge filed against a leadership member, and make a formal recommendation as to whether the charge has merit or is merely frivolous. Then, considering the Steering Committee's recommendation, the full conference is directed to formally vote on whether the member should remain in leadership.

I was willing to accept this compromise as a sensible step in clarifying conference rules - especially because it calls for a clear vote on removal in which members must stand up and be counted. The new rule continues to allow for the removal of members from leadership while still providing an avenue through which unfounded or politically motivated charges can be weeded out.

It's also worth noting that the Democratic Caucus, unlike the Republican Conference, has no rule at all providing for the removal of their leaders under the same circumstances. The Republicans have taken, and continue to take, a much tougher stance. Rest assured, I'll continue doing everything I can to make sure the Republican Party is one of accountability and clean government."

I got my letter from Congressman Herger (CA-2) tod...

2004-12-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

I got my letter from Congressman Herger (CA-2) today. As I suspected, he voted for the DeLay rule.

-kat

I just reviewed the database of votes and noted th...

2004-11-29T23:13:00.000-05:00

I just reviewed the database of votes and noted the "?" for Manzullo of IL 16. The info that his local staffer gave was that he was too busy with a committee hearing on the Transportation bill to attend the Delay session. This seems to conflict with some of the information above. Obviously I'd like to know the truth.

I called Buck McKeon's office and they said that i...

2004-11-27T17:43:00.000-05:00

I called Buck McKeon's office and they said that it was a private vote and they could not disclose how he voted. I would count him as a "refused". Kathy C from Valencia, CA 91355

Let me pass along to you what I found out about my...

2004-11-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Let me pass along to you what I found out about my representatives here in Maryland.

Last week I called both Republican house members from my state. Wayne Gilchrest (Kennedyville/Eastern shore) voted for the rule, and his staffers readily told me so, albeit with a admonition that they "didn't know the language" of the resolution and it "wasn't public yet." Total BS, but at least they told me his vote. Roscoe Bartlett (Frederick/northwest) was another story. First his staffers said they didn't know, then they said I should go ask my local representative, Al Wynn, a Democrat. When I protested that this was ridiculous, they said they'd find out Bartlett's vote and get back to me.

They never did, so today I called again. I spoke to a staffer named Fay. She gave me the same runaround: she didn't know, or I should ask Wynn, or she'd have to get back to me. I refused to be shoved off in this way, and asked why it was so hard to tell me a simple yes or no, and told her that Gilchrest's office had given me an answer right away. I think that did it. She admitted that Bartlett had not, in fact, voted on the resolution at all - he "wasn't able" to vote, and he "wasn't notified" that the vote would be held, so he didn't attend. Well, there's his answer. Pretty creative, huh? I thanked her, and that was that.

Keep up the good work

-Jared Hertzberg
Hyattsville MD

Thaddeus McCotter (Michigan 11th Congressional Dis...

2004-11-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

Thaddeus McCotter (Michigan 11th Congressional District)
Called his Washington office this afternoon and was told by staffer that McCotter voted for the DeLay rule. All the fuss is being created by politically motivated Texas DA. Oh my!
Use my name, Al Churchill, instead of Anon.

John Sweeney's office is finally (as of this morni...

2004-11-23T16:14:00.000-05:00

John Sweeney's office is finally (as of this morning) saying that he voted yes on the DeLay Rule. I called them again this morning after trying to get an answer since last Friday.

I just spoke with the office of Rick Renzi (Ariz.-...

2004-11-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

I just spoke with the office of Rick Renzi (Ariz.-1). His staffer said Renzi did not attend because this was a meeting of the GOP "conference," not the "caucus." Renzi and 68 other Republicans are not members of the conference, the aide told me.

Is this true?

Neverthelss, Renzi supports the change in the rule in order to give members "due process." Renzi is a recipient of $20,000 from ARMPAC.

Email to Ros-Lehtinen(FL) sent on Nov. 19 (see htt...

2004-11-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

Email to Ros-Lehtinen(FL) sent on Nov. 19 (see http://www.discourse.net/archives/2004/11/how_did_gop_representatives_vote_on_the_delay_rule.html)did not get a reply so I phoned this afternoon. Seems Ros-Lehtinen is a letter-writer, so we'll just have to wait, probably until after Thanksgiving.

I just e-mailed Everett (AL-2). I'll post his res...

2004-11-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

I just e-mailed Everett (AL-2).

I'll post his response when I get it.

We checked with Tenn. 7 Marcia Blackburn's office....

2004-11-22T18:06:00.000-05:00

We checked with Tenn. 7 Marcia Blackburn's office. She is proud to support Tom DeLay. She thinks that the prosecution is politically motivated. We are sending a letter asking if he is guilty, why would political motivation matter.

I talked to a staffer in Greg Walden (OR)'s office...

2004-11-22T16:42:00.000-05:00

I talked to a staffer in Greg Walden (OR)'s office this morning--contrary to the other report here, the female staffer "Valerie" claimed he was out of the room when the vote happened, but would have voted yes based on the principle of "innocent until proven guilty."

Congressman Todd Akin of Missouri is now confirmin...

2004-11-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

Congressman Todd Akin of Missouri is now confirming that he voted for the DeLay Rule.

From Congressman Todd Akin, 2nd District MO. Sound...

2004-11-22T15:10:00.000-05:00

From Congressman Todd Akin, 2nd District MO. Sounds like Akin went with DeLay....

"There has been a great deal of mis-information concerning an internal rule change within the Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives. Allow me to explain exactly what the new rule, Rule 25, does.

First, the new rule strengthens Conference Rules regarding convictions. If a Chairman or member of the House Republican leadership is convicted of a felony he or she is removed immediately from that role. Current GOP rules do not require a Chairman or leader to step aside if convicted.

Second, the new rule adds accountability. Members of Congress have been elected to exercise their judgment - not to allow some system to supplant that judgment. The new rule forces members of the Republican Steering Committee (which determines Committee assignments) to stand and be counted. They must review the charges, take action and defend their decisions all within 30 days of indictment. If the Steering Committee finds that the charges have merit, all Republican Members of the House could be called upon to stand and be counted.

Finally, the new rule protects the work of the House of Representatives from manipulation, disruption and intimidation. The old rule could be used by partisan or self-serving District Attorneys to threaten
or disrupt Chairmen or leaders as they perform their duties. By simply bringing an indictment in any court, a local political operative could effectively remove a leader of the United States Congress at a key or sensitive time.

"Innocent until proven guilty" is the hallmark of the American justice system. An indictment is just an accusation. It would be unfair for a duly elected Member of Congress to lose his or her ability to
represent their constituents simply because of an accusation of wrong-doing without any review to determine if the accusation has merit."

I just called my rep, John Sweeney (20th NY), to s...

2004-11-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

I just called my rep, John Sweeney (20th NY), to see how he voted, and his aide didn't know. She took my name and address and asked me how I hoped he'd voted, and said she'd pass it on.

I just called David Vitter's office in Washington ...

2004-11-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

I just called David Vitter's office in Washington & spoke to an aide. I told him I was a constituent of Rep. Vitter's & asked him how Vitter voted on the DeLay rule change. "I couldn't tell you because he didn't relay that information to the office", is what I was told. "Why not?" I asked. Again: "I really couldn't tell you." His arrogant, exasperated tone moved me to say, "I don't blame him for keeping it quiet."

The link is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/w...

2004-11-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

The link is here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A913-2004Nov20.html

Davis spoke out against it, but was not in the room when the vote was taken. You might want to create a separate category for this. Thanks for keeping the tally.

John Linder's (GA) office told me they would send ...

2004-11-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

John Linder's (GA) office told me they would send a letter in two weeks.

I called Ralph Regula (R-OH) on Friday to ask if h...

2004-11-21T22:34:00.000-05:00

I called Ralph Regula (R-OH) on Friday to ask if he voted for the amendment, and his staffer very forthrightly stated that he had.

I haven't seen public confirmation anywhere, though.

-A reader in OH

I could not find the link for the WaPo story refer...

2004-11-21T18:23:00.000-05:00

I could not find the link for the WaPo story referenced above. Can someone post it? Thanks -- DD

The Washington Post reported today that Tom Davis ...

2004-11-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post reported today that Tom Davis was not in the room when the vote was taken. He should be moved from the Shays list.

Todd Russell Platts of Pennsulvania - office repor...

2004-11-21T12:06:00.000-05:00

Todd Russell Platts of Pennsulvania - office reported on Friday that he voted against the Delay Rule. It appears he is one of Shays Handful.

Perhaps you should put the "Waiting To Hear" total...

2004-11-21T11:52:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you should put the "Waiting To Hear" totals in the summary at top, too.