Know your House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

stevedeshazer

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Thu Apr-21-05 04:03 PM
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Know your House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

Otherwise known as the House Ethics Committee.

Now that the Bugman, Tom DeLay ( http://tomdelay.house.gov/ ) is going to be investigated by the House Ethics Committee, let's investigate the members, shall we?

I'm curious how the makeup of this committee might affect the proceedings. Are they vulnerable in 2006?

If you happen to know more about any of these House members, especially if they represent you, please chime in.

Five Republicans and five Democrats.

First, the Republicans.
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(chairman) Congressman Doc Hastings, R-WA:

Congressman Doc Hastings has represented Central Washington�s 4th District for six terms, beginning in 1995 � the year Republicans claimed a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.

As the third-ranking member of the prestigious House Rules Committee, Hastings helps control the flow of legislation to the House floor, shape final agreements on legislation, and determine which amendments will be put to a vote by the full House.

Hastings serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House. The panel�s innocuous sounding name belies its powerful portfolio which includes, for example, responsibility for committee structures and jurisdiction across the House and responsibility for proposals to reform the appropriations process.

Hastings also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct � commonly known as the Ethics Committee � and is charged with upholding ethical standards in the House of Representatives. Hastings has served on the Committee since 2001 and in that capacity, according to the non-partisan Congressional Quarterly, �Hastings won praise � including from Traficant � for his fairness in building the case to expel the Ohio Democrat, who was convicted on 10 federal charges of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion.�

Hastings chairs the bipartisan Congressional Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, which he founded in 1995 to promote the cleanup of federal nuclear waste facilities such as DOE�s Hanford reservation - the largest single employer in his district.

The bio on his website: http://hastings.house.gov/AboutDoc.aspx
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Congresswoman Judy Biggert, R-IL:

A lifelong Illinois resident, Judy Biggert combines a wealth of experience as a legislator, lawyer, community leader, and small business owner to serve the suburban Chicago residents of Illinois' 13th District in the US House of Representatives.

As the only Republican member of the Illinois delegation on the Education and Workforce Committee, Judy worked to help craft the No Child Left Behind Act, which included her bill to nearly double annual funding for homeless education programs. She is the sponsor of legislation to promote financial literacy among our youth and she wrote legislation, now law, to increase funding for the training of math and science teachers.

As co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, Judy worked to improve funding for women's health research, victims of dating violence and child care assistance for low income families. In 2001, she introduced legislation that expands legal assistance for victims of domestic violence and worked with the Bush Administration to pass a bill that fast-tracked money to Afghan women and children for their basic health and educational needs.

In the 109th Congress, Judy is a member of four committees -- Education and the Workforce, Financial Services, Science, and Standards of Official Conduct � and of seven subcommittees. She serves as chairman of the Science Subcommittee on Energy, vice chair of the Education Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, vice chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology.

In addition, Judy serves as a member of: the Education Subcommittee on Education Reform; the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Entities and Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit; and on the Science Subcommittee on Research. She is a member of the Speaker's Working Group for a Drug Free America and the Bipartisan Working Group on Youth Violence.

The bio on her website: http://judybiggert.house.gov/bio.asp
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Congressman Lamar Smith, R-TX:

Congressman Lamar Smith has represented the residents of the 21st Congressional District since 1987.

The respected magazine National Journal has named Congressman Smith one of the 100 most influential people in Washington, D.C. In 2005, The Information Technology Industry Council named Smith as its Legislator of the Year for his leadership on high-tech issues. He was also presented with the Semiconductor Industry Association�s Congressional Leadership Award for his contributions to the U.S. semiconductor industry, and was honored by the Defenders of Property Rights for his work to protect intellectual property.

In the 109th Congress, Smith continues as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property of the House Judiciary Committee. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over digital rights, copyright and patent protections, piracy, secure networks, peer-to-peer networks, fair use standards, litigation management, cyber-security, state sovereign immunity, patent and trademark office reform, e-commerce, the administration of U.S. Courts, Federal Rules of Evidence, Civil and Appellate Procedure, judicial ethics and Article III federal judgeships. He also sits on the Immigration Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.

In addition, Congressman Smith serves on the House Science Committee and its Space and Research Subcommittees.

Smith is also a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. The Committee has primary jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security and government-wide homeland security policy. He serves on the Committee�s Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity, and its Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science, and Technology.

Smith was selected to serve on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also known as the Ethics Committee, for the 109th Congress. He previously served as a member of the committee from 1997 to 2001, and was the panel's chairman for two years. The Committee has jurisdiction over all bills, resolutions and other matters relating to the Code of Official Conduct of the House of Representatives.

Bio here: http://lamarsmith.house.gov/bio.asp
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Congresswoman Melissa Hart, R-PA:

In November, 2004, U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart was overwhelmingly reelected to her third term serving the people of the 4th District.The district includes Southwestern Pennsylvania communities in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Westmoreland and Mercer Counties. Hart is the first female Republican from Pennsylvania elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was the first female Republican elected to a full term in the state Senate.

Over the course of her career in the U.S. House, Hart has had many legislative successes. Congress passed and President Bush signed into law Hart's bill, the Unborn Victims of Violence/Laci and Conner's Law which filled a hole in the law such that in a federal crime of violence against a pregnant woman, if her unborn child is harmed, the perpetrator may be pursued for two crimes against two victims. Indeed, the Congresswoman has been a strong advocate for victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and child abuse. Thanks to her efforts to increase fuding under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), victims who would otherwise be turned away from shelters, will receive the services they need to escape violence and rebuild their lives.

Hart's language providing that an alert must be sent in unsolicited emails containing sexually explicit material was included in the Anti-Spam Bill also signed into law in 2004.

Among Hart's other legislative accomplishments are her plan to provide funds to programs that create"safe havens" for abandoned newborns. The President also signed legislation that Hart authored improving medical benefits for tens of thousands of former miners who suffer from Black Lung disease.

Hart's "Consumer Product Protection Act", which penalizes individuals who insert illicit and pornographic materials into packaged food goods, was signed into law. Hart has focused her congressional work on restoring opportunity to the district -- a region that had missed much of the economic prosperity of the late 1990s.

Bio here: http://hart.house.gov/bio.asp
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Congressman Tom Cole, R-OK

Tom Cole became the Representative for Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District on November 6th, 2002. During his tenure in the House Cole has established himself as a strong voice for the conservative views and values of the Fourth District. He is an advocate for a strong national defense, a defender of the interests of small business and taxpayers, a proponent of education at all levels and a leader on issues dealing with Native Americans and tribal governments. Cole was named as one of "Five Freshmen to Watch" by Roll Call at the outset of his congressional career.

Speaker Dennis Hastert appointed Cole to the powerful House Rules Committee in January of 2005. The Rules Committee serves as the body through which all significant legislation must pass before being considered by the House, giving Cole a voice in virtually every issue that comes before Congress. In addition to the Rules Committee, Cole serves on the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also known as the Ethics Committee. He retains his membership and seniority on the House Armed Services Committee to which he was appointed in 2002. Cole also serves as a Deputy Majority Whip. In this role he helps line up the votes needed to pass the legislative agenda of the President and the House Republican Conference.

Cole has a significant background of service to his home state of Oklahoma. He has served as a District Director for former Congressman Mickey Edwards, a member of the Oklahoma State Senate, and as Oklahoma's Secretary of State. In this capacity he served as former Governor Frank Keating's chief legislative strategist and liaison to the state's federal delegation. Keating tapped Cole to lead Oklahoma's successful effort to secure federal funds to assist in the rebuilding of Oklahoma City in the wake of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19th, 1995.

Cole is a founding partner and past president of CHS & Associates, a nationally recognized consulting and survey research firm based in Oklahoma City. The firm has been named one of the top twenty in its field in America and has literally dozens of past and current clients scattered across the country.

Bio here: http://www.house.gov/cole/bio.htm
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Now, the Democrats
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Ranking Minority member, Congressman Alan B. Mollohan, D-WV

Alan B. Mollohan was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, on May 14, 1943, to Robert H. and Helen Holt Mollohan. A graduate of Greenbrier Military School, the College of William and Mary, and West Virginia University's College of Law, he began his legal career in 1970 with a Fairmont firm.

Mollohan is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. It determines the funding for thousands of government programs, totaling roughly one-third of the federal budget (most of the rest is mandatory spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid).

He is "Ranking Minority Member" -- the top Democrat -- on the Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice, Commerce and Related Agencies. The subcommittee funds the departments of State, Justice and Commerce, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), among others.

Mollohan also is a member of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.

In addition to his work on the Appropriations Committee, Mollohan serves on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, commonly known as the ethics committee. He is the panel's ranking Democrat.

Bio here: http://www.house.gov/mollohan/bio.htm
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Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, D-OH:

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is the first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. Congresswoman Jones is a lifelong resident of the 11th District, which encompasses the East Side and parts of the West Side of Cleveland and includes parts of 20 municipalities.

Currently in her fourth term in office, the Congresswoman, a strong advocate for many issues, has championed wealth building and economic development, access and delivery of health care, and quality education for all. The Congresswoman's committee assignments include being the first African American Woman to serve on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, with her subcommittees being Social Security and Select Revenue Measures. The Congresswoman also serves on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics) and is an active member of numerous Congressional Caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus and chairs its Housing Task Force. The Task force serves as a primary instrument in forming CBC housing policy. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

During her first term, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones secured passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement (CAPE) Act, her first piece of legislation. This bill uses common sense enforcement reforms to protect children from abuse and neglect without increasing federal spending or imposing unfunded mandates on states.

In the 107th Congress, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones introduced the Uterine Fibroids Research and Education Act of 2001. This act would increase funding for research on uterine fibroids and provide enhanced public education about this condition. The Congresswoman introduced the Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices Reduction Act, which would require certification of mortgage brokers and enhance penalties for predatory loans, and the Campus Fire Prevention Act, which would provide money to equip college dorms, fraternities, and sororities houses with fire suppression devices. The Congresswoman introduced the Retiree Health Assistance Act of 2001 to fund the health care costs of retired steelworkers. She is an original co-sponsor of a number of important pieces of legislation, including election reform, healthcare for low and middle-income families, and a bill to establish a nationwide system for tracking chronic diseases.

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones has made a number of historic achievements in her distinguished career as a public servant. Prior to her election to the House, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones served as the first African-American and the first female Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor. She was the first African-American woman to sit on the Common Pleas bench in the State of Ohio and was a Municipal Court Judge in the City of Cleveland.

Bio here: http://www.house.gov/tubbsjones/biography.htm
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Congressman Gene Green, D-TX:

Congressman Gene Green was first elected to Congress from the 29th Congressional District of Texas in 1992 after twenty years in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. In 1996 he was appointed to the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee and currently serves on the following subcommittees: Health; Environment and Hazardous Materials; Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection; and Energy and Air Quality. Green also serves on the Ethics Committee and as a Senior Deputy Whip and Regional Whip.

Congressman Green has been involved in a number of issues and projects directly affecting the 29th District. In 1998, he was instrumental in the revitalization of the Houston Head Start program, ensuring that this vital program was made available to all children. He has worked to secure federal funds for the expansion of the Port of Houston and Intercontinental Airport, and in 2002, passed legislation to declare the Buffalo Bayou a National Heritage area.

Additionally, the Congressman has organized many annual events in the 29th District that serve to improve lives in the community. His annual "Immunization Day" and "Citizenship Day" are two of his most successful events. In 2004, 200 legal residents were assisted with their citizenship applications and 700 elementary age children received free vaccines.

Bio here: http://www.house.gov/green/about/
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Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-CA:

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard maintains a busy schedule working out of her offices in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, CA. The Congresswoman represents the 34th Congressional District, which includes downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and nine southeast cities of Los Angeles County.

A political pioneer, in 1992, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard became the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress. Before that, she represented the 56th Assembly District of California for six years.

Throughout her tenure in public service, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard has remained committed to expanding opportunities for residents of her district and working families throughout the country. She champions efforts to modernize and upgrade public schools, improve school safety, increase the federal minimum wage, reduce the high Hispanic drop-out rates, preserve Social Security and Medicare, and stimulate economic growth to create new jobs.

As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful and distinguished committees in Congress, she spends much of her time attending hearings and meetings. She is the first Latina in U.S. history to be appointed to the Appropriations Committee, which controls the purse strings of the federal government. The Congresswoman serves on two influential subcommittees -- the Subcommittee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. As a member of these two subcommittees, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard oversees funding of the new Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Coast Guard, U.S. Customs Service, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Education.

Known as a respected consensus builder, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard also served as chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation in 1998 and 1999. In assuming this position, she became the first woman, first Latina and the first Member to achieve this role through election rather than seniority. Later, during the 106th Congress, she went on to become the first female Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which is a coalition of Hispanic Members of Congress.

Bio here: http://www.house.gov/roybal-allard/bio.htm
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Congressman Mike Doyle, D-PA:

Mike Doyle is currently serving his sixth term in Congress representing the 14th District of Pennsylvania, which includes the city of Pittsburgh as well as communities in the western, southern, and eastern portions of Allegheny County.

When he first came to Congress in 1995, Doyle was appointed to both the Veterans' Affairs and the Science and Technology Committees. He sat on the Science Subcommittee on Energy, Environment, and Technology and the Veterans Health Subcommittee.

At the beginning of the 2001, Doyle was appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee which is one of only three exclusive committees in the House. There he sits on the following three subcommittees: 1) Energy and Air Quality; 2) Telecommunications and the Internet; and 3) Environment and Hazardous Materials.

Doyle is a member in the House Democratic Caucus and the founder and co-chair of the recently formed Autism Caucus, also known as the Coalition for Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.). Doyle also serves on several other important Caucuses, such as Steel, Human Rights, and the Internet. He is also a member of the Leadership Pittsburgh Alumni Organization, the Lions Club, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), and the Penn State Alumni Association.

Bio here: http://www.house.gov/doyle/about.shtml
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Who are these folks? Do any of you know any of them? What, if any, are their ties to the Bugman? Are they honest?