NEWS RELEASE
FROM REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES B. RANGEL
Ranking Democrat, Committee on Ways and Means

For Immediate Release
Friday, July 18, 2003

Contact: (202) 225-4021

CHAIRMAN THOMAS CALLS THE COPS ON DEMOCRATS AFTER THEY GO TO COMMITTEE LIBRARY TO MEET ON PENSION BILL

Committee Democrats refuse to leave Committee Library in protest of Thomas’ dictatorial tactics

Washington, D.C. -- There was a stand-off today between the Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and the U.S. Capitol Police after they were called by staff representing Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.). The incident occurred after Committee Democrats protesting the late notice given them of major changes to pension legislation, walked out of the Ways and Means markup of that bill in the main Committee room and convened a meeting in the Committee library.

At that point, while the markup of the bill (H.R. 1776) was still going on, the Committee Majority staff called the U.S. Capitol Police on behalf of the Chairman and asked that the members be removed. Specifically, according to several witnesses, the Chief of Staff of the Ways and Means Majority staff informed the Democratic members that Chairman Thomas had asked to get the police to remove the Democratic members because the Republican members needed the room to meet in themselves (notwithstanding the fact that the Republicans were all at the markup).

The U.S. Capitol Police sent several officers and politely informed Ranking Member Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) that they had been called and would check to see what their duty was in this matter. Rep. Rangel said that he did not see how Chairman Thomas could possibly order the removal of other members of Congress from an official room that had not been in use and that the members intended to stay there and continue their meeting.

"Today, some of the most senior Democrats in Congress said, ‘we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it any more,’" said Rep. Rangel. "The House Republicans have gone well beyond the powers of the majority party. They can enact legislation because they have the votes and set the terms of debate. But I don’t care how big the majority is, they have no right to threaten members of Congress with police action."

"As it stands, the Republicans have a slim majority and yet they have a long history of trying to suppress the rights of Democratic members to be heard, to be given fair notice of what we are asked to vote on, and to express our views. We Democrats represent almost half the population and yet we are forced to hold sit-ins. Then, they call the cops! The idea that a member of Congress would call the Capitol Police on other members performing their Constitutional duties is deplorable. Once we start taking away the privileges of members to use space to deliberate, it does not just affect me, Ways and Means Democrats or members of this House, it affects the institution of the House of Representatives," Rep. Rangel continued.

The stand-off lasted for over an hour. As it continued, the Chairman ignored an objection from a unanimous consent request from the remaining Democratic member in the room, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), who then joined the other Democrats in the Committee Library. Then, they proceeded with the markup with no Democratic members in the room. About an hour after the markup concluded, the stand-off was resolved when a representative from the Sergeant-at-Arm’s office, Don Kellaher, came and informed the members that it was a Committee matter and that they would not take any action. At that point, the Democratic members left as did the U.S. Capitol Police.

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