Boehner Urges Pelosi To Strip Ways & Means Chairmanship From Rangel

Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico /Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) Thursday urged Rep. Chuck Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign from his position as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“This is a time for Speaker Pelosi, who promised to drain the swamp, to have the most open and ethical congress in history… she has not done it yet,” he said.

Boehner also commented on the Defense Authorization Bill, calling the hate crimes legislation attached to it, “radical, social policy that is being put…on the backs of our soldiers… this is an abuse of the legislative process.” Added Boehner, “I’m offended by it!”

In response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee’s release this week of its healthcare reform bill following what Boehner called, “a mysterious delay,” the Ohio Republican lobbied for mandatory public review of all bills. He added that he will propose a resolution to ensure that all bills that come to the floor are available to members of the public for 72 hours before they are voted on.

The Leader also called on President Barack Obama to request that Gen. Stanley McChrystal testify before Congress regarding his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan.