Ways and Means Chairman Commends Colleagues for Reaffirming Integrity of the House.

Congressman Charles Rangel said he welcomed a vote by the House of Representatives to reject a Republican effort to censure the New York Congressman.

The resolution introduced by Republican leaders called on Congressman Rangel to step aside as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee while a special investigative panel of the Ethics Committee conducts inquiries requested by the Congressman himself.

The House voted 226-176 to table the resolution. Twelve Republicans joined a unanimous vote by Democrats against the resolution.

"Once again the House has reaffirmed its integrity by refusing to go along with a partisan political attempt to usurp the rules of the House while embarrassing me," Congressman Rangel said.

"With this vote, the House has spoken in favor of allowing the Ethics Committee to make its own judgment, free of the influence of rumors and insinuations contained in inflammatory newspaper articles," Congressman Rangel said. "I commend my colleagues in the House for standing firmly in support of the internal process."

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