Floor SpeechNeutral2024-12-11

HOLDING THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO A HIGHER ETHICAL STANDARD

Context

On 2024-12-11, Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-6) delivered a floor speech titled "HOLDING THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO A HIGHER ETHICAL STANDARD" in the House.

Full Text

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 184 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 184 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)] [House] [Pages H6808-H6809] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HOLDING THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO A HIGHER ETHICAL STANDARD The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Casten) for 5 minutes. Mr. CASTEN. Mr. Speaker, last week the Speaker of the House and the majority leader said that the report into serious allegations of misconduct by former Representative Matt Gaetz was ``moot'' because he had resigned from Congress. I rise today to remind my colleagues of four names and 4 years: 1987, Bill Boner; 1990, Don Lukens; 2006, Mark Foley; 2011, Eric Massa. Those are four Members of Congress, spanning each of the last four decades: two Democrats, two Republicans. All four of them resigned from their seats while under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Allegations against these Members included acceptance of bribes; sharing inappropriate, sexually explicit images; and sex with a minor child. In all of those cases, the work of the Ethics Committee continued even after their resignation. In three of the four cases, the report of the Ethics Committee was released to the public. In none of those cases did anyone have the gall to declare those reports to be moot. Now, in 2024, another Representative has resigned while he was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations, including acceptance of bribes; sharing of inappropriate, sexually explicit images; and sex with a minor child. Mr. Gaetz is also alleged to have engaged in illicit drug use. We all understand that even the allegation of such activities being committed by one of us cheapens this whole institution. We also all respect the traditions of this House. While they may sometimes need reform, we tread carefully before setting any new precedents. We find ourselves with a tradition going back at least four decades that Members of the House who are under investigation by the Ethics Committee for these sorts of allegations cannot prevent that information from becoming public simply by resigning from their seat, yet that is exactly the precedent that the majority voted to upend last week when they voted to kill the resolution to compel the release of the Ethics Committee report on Mr. Gaetz. Every Member of this body now needs to ask themselves if they believe that the precedent of this House holding itself and its Members to a higher ethical standard is one worth keeping. They need to ask themselves if they believe that even if you resign from this body, future employers, whether in the public or private sector, should know if you can be trusted to represent their institutions with dignity and honor, can be trusted with their financial resources, can be trusted around underage children. Make no mistake: Everyone who voted against the release of the report last week was saying that, no, the time has come for a new precedent where the rules no longer apply to us; where from this day forth, the Republican majority shall loudly proclaim: What happens in D.C. stays in D.C. As our friend and former colleague Elijah Cummings would have reminded us, we are better than this. Upholding precedents and maintaining the integrity of this House is not moot. [[Page H6809]] ____________________

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HOLDING THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO A HIGHER ETHICAL STANDARD Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 184 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 184 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)] [House] [Pages H6808-H6809] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HOLDING THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO A HIGHER ETHICAL STANDARD The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Casten) for 5 minutes. Mr. CASTEN. Mr. Speaker, last week the Speaker of the House and the majority leader said that the report into serious allegations of misconduct by former Representative Matt Gaetz was ``moot'' because he had resigned from Congress. I rise today to remind my colleagues of four names and 4 years: 1987, Bill Boner; 1990, Don Lukens; 2006, Mark Foley; 2011, Eric Massa. Those are four Members of Congress, spanning each of the last four decades: two Democrats, two Republicans. All four of them resigned from their seats while under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Allegations against these Members included acceptance of bribes; sharing inappropriate, sexually explicit images; and sex with a minor child. In all of those cases, the work of the Ethics Committee continued even after their resignation. In three of the four cases, the report of the Ethics Committee was released to the public. In none of those cases did anyone have the gall to declare those reports to be moot. Now, in 2024, another Representative has resigned while he was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations, including acceptance of bribes; sharing of inappropriate, sexually explicit images; and sex with a minor child. Mr. Gaetz is also alleged to have engaged in illicit drug use. We all understand that even the allegation of such activities being committed by one of us cheapens this whole institution. We also all respect the traditions of this House. While they may sometimes need reform, we tread carefully before setting any new precedents. We find ourselves with a tradition going back at least four decades that Members of the House who are under investigation by the Ethics Committee for these sorts of allegations cannot prevent that information from becoming public simply by resigning from their seat, yet that is exactly the precedent that the majority voted to upend last week when they voted to kill the resolution to compel the release of the Ethics Committee report on Mr. Gaetz. Every Member of this body now needs to ask themselves if they believe that the precedent of this House holding itself and its Members to a higher ethical standard is one worth keeping. They need to ask themselves if they believe that even if you resign from this body, future employers, whether in the public or private sector, should know if you can be trusted to represent their institutions with dignity and honor, can be trusted with their financial resources, can be trusted around underage children. Make no mistake: Everyone who voted against the release of the report last week was saying that, no, the time has come for a new precedent where the rules no longer apply to us; where from this day forth, the Republican majority shall loudly proclaim: What happens in D.C. stays in D.C. As our friend and former colleague Elijah Cummings would have reminded us, we are better than this. Upholding precedents and maintaining the integrity of this House is not moot. [[Page H6809]] ____________________