[areafiftyone]

PELOSI'S PRESS RELEASE AND JEFFERSON'S RESPONSE TO HER:

May 24, 2006

 

Congressman William J. Jefferson

2113 Rayburn House Office Building

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Dear Congressman Jefferson:

In the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus, I am writing to request your immediate resignation from the Ways and Means Committee.

Sincerely,

 

Nancy Pelosi

Democratic Leader
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader
H-204, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Leader Pelosi:

I have received your letter of this date requesting my immediate resignation from the Ways and Means Committee. With respect, I decline to do so.

Through my committee position and since this federal investigation became public, I have secured over $20 billion in tax credits and federal funds for my district after Hurricane Katrina. I authored the GO ZONE Act, the Katrina Public Finance Act, and the Katrina Tax Relief Act, along with my colleague Jim McCrery, which all resulted in massive tax relief for families, seniors, government agencies and businesses in the hurricane-affected region. All of these matters fall within the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. Additionally, my committee covers trade, which is important the Port of New Orleans. My work on the committee has been important to our port's recovery after the storm.

None of the matters reported to be under scrutiny involve issues under jurisdiction of the Ways and Means committee. Therefore, such a request would be even more perplexing and unreasonable. If I agreed, it would unfairly punish the people of the 2nd district and I will not stand for that.

Further, such a request would be discriminatory, in as much as no other Member currently under federal investigation has been asked to step down from a substantive, legislative committee assignment. It would also be unprecedented, in as much as I have served with Members who have been indicted, tried and won their cases, and who were never asked to step aside from their committee assignments during those processes. Therefore, I will not give up a committee assignment that is so vital to New Orleans at this crucial time for any uncertain political strategy.

Sincerely,

William J. Jefferson
Member of Congress

[rhombus]

Further, such a request would be discriminatory, in as much as no other Member currently under federal investigation has been asked to step down from a substantive, legislative committee assignment.

Bwahhahaha!

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks , I just linked this up to your earlier thread.
Time FoR a Thread chain.. :-D

[MAexile]

Further, such a request would be discriminatory, in as much as no other Member currently under federal investigation has been asked to step down from a substantive, legislative committee assignment.

At least some of the ones currently under investigation usually have the good sense to step down before being asked.

[Eastbound]

"I have secured over $20 billion in tax credits and federal funds for my district after Hurricane Katrina. I authored the GO ZONE Act, the Katrina Public Finance Act, and the Katrina Tax Relief Act, along with my colleague Jim McCrery, which all resulted in massive tax relief for families, seniors, government agencies and businesses in the hurricane-affected region."

. . . therefore, I am entitled to a little entitlement without everybody making such a fuss over it.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Pelosi sure knows how to write a curt letter!

I'm liking Pelosi a lot more than Hastert right now, and I've never had even a momentary positive thought about Pelosi before. Shouldn't the RNC be a tad worried about that?