Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding the Matter of Representative Maxine Waters

Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding the Matter of Representative Maxine Waters.

The Committee on Ethics has voted unanimously to extend the contract of William R. Martin to continue his service as outside counsel to the Committee in the matter of Representative Maxine Waters. The Committee’s goal has been and remains to resolve this matter as expeditiously as possible, but due to unavoidable delays, additional time is needed for outside counsel to complete his initial review and report his findings and conclusions to the full Committee, which will then determine whether the matter should proceed. The Committee’s decision to extend the contract does not indicate that the Committee has made any findings or reached any conclusions, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee.

In July 2011, the Committee announced that it had retained Mr. Martin to review, advise, and assist the Committee in completing this matter. The decision to retain outside counsel reflected the high priority of this unique matter and the need to resolve it with the utmost care, diligence, and integrity. Hiring an outside counsel allowed for an independent review and a faster resolution than if the Committee staff were to handle it alone. In addition, retaining outside counsel in this matter has allowed the Committee and its staff to continue to work diligently on its large number of other pending investigative matters, as well as its substantial ongoing work within its advice and education, financial disclosure, travel, and training responsibilities.

To date, Mr. Martin and his team have performed a substantial amount of work to move this matter forward. Mr. Martin has reviewed tens of thousands of pages of documents, interviewed numerous witnesses, and conducted extensive legal research regarding the nature of due process rights which attach to Members of Congress appearing before this Committee. While significant progress has been made, Mr. Martin’s review and recommendations regarding due process allegations will not be complete by the end of the first session of the 112th Congress, which is the termination date of the initial contract. Mr. Martin has suggested to the Committee that he not present his recommendations regarding substantive issues of due process, including whether any fact witnesses should consider recusal from this matter, until the factual review is complete.

The new contract has an expiration date of July 31, 2012, and authorizes expenditures of between $50,000 and $500,000. The Committee has not concluded either that the entirety of the matter will be completed by that date or that outside counsel will need the full amount of time and/or funding to complete his initial review and any subsequent work, if necessary.

Instead, both the expiration date and amount of funding are intended to provide both outside counsel and the Committee with the flexibility to finish this matter as promptly as a thorough, diligent, and fair review of the allegations and relevant facts will allow. As with the initial contract, pursuant to Committee rules, any cancellation, further extension, or amendment to the contract must be approved by a majority vote of the Members of the Committee, acting consistent with integrity and fairness.

The Committee notes that the initial contract with Mr. Martin also authorized expenditures of between $50,000 and $500,000, but that to date, the cost of services provided under the initial contract is approximately $300,000. The range designated in the new contract was fully contemplated in the Committee’s request to the Committee on House Administration for funding in the second session of the 112th Congress. The Committee on House Administration has approved both the funding request and the new contract with Mr. Martin, consistent with its rules. Representative Waters and her counsel were informed of the new contract.

At the end of each stage in the matter, the Committee will consider what, if any, statement is appropriate to keep the House and the public informed of the activities of the Committee. Until the next such appropriate time, however, neither the Committee nor outside counsel will have further public comment on this matter.

FULL RELEASE in PDF FORMAT: Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding the Matter of Representative Maxine Waters

John Boehner Full-Year Payroll Tax Cut Extension Needed to Give Job Creators Certainty VIDEO

Boehner: Full-Year Payroll Tax Cut Extension Needed to Give Job Creators Certainty They Need to Put Americans Back to Work.

Announces House Will Vote to Go to Conference, Resolve Differences Between House & Senate Payroll Bills.

Washington (Dec 19) At a press conference today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) reiterated the need for a full-year extension of the payroll tax cut to provide certainty for job creators, and previewed a House vote this evening to request a formal conference to resolve differences between the two chambers. Following are video and text of Speaker Boehner’s remarks:

BOEHNER: “A TWO-MONTH EXTENSION CREATES UNCERTAINTY & WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO CREATE JOBS”:

“Americans are tired of Washington’s short-term fixes and gimmicks, which are creating uncertainty for job creators at a time when millions of Americans are out of work. Democrats and Republicans agree that the payroll tax cut needs to be extended for a full year to provide the kind of relief that Americans need in this struggling economy. The House last week passed a bill to do just that -- but instead of passing the House bill or another bill which extended the payroll credit for a year, the Senate Democratic leaders passed a two-month extension, punting the problem into next year.

“We oppose the Senate bill because doing a two-month extension instead of a full year extension causes uncertainty for job creators. I used to run a small business, I met a payroll, I hired workers. A two-month extension creates uncertainty and will cause problems for people who are trying to create jobs in the private sector. The idea that tax policy can be done two months at a time is the kind of activity that we see here in Washington that’s really put our economy off its tracks.

“Last week both chambers worked together to pass a full-year bill to fund our government. And I don’t think this issue is any different. It’s time for Congress to do its work. No more kicking the can down the road.”

BOEHNER: HOUSE WILL SEND HOUSE-SENATE PAYROLL TAX CUT BILLS TO CONFERENCE TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES:

“Tonight the House will vote on the Senate-passed bill. This is a vote on whether Congress will stay and do its work, or go on vacation. I expect that the House will disagree with the Senate amendment, and instead vote to formally go to conference – the formal process in which the House and Senate can resolve differences between the two chambers and between our two bills. And I expect the House to take up legislation that reinforces the need to extend the payroll tax relief for a full year, rather than just two months, again – to provide certainty for job creators. And I think the best way to resolve the difference between the two-month extension and the full-year bill is to follow the regular order here in Congress. When there’s a disagreement between the two chambers we sit down in a conference and resolve those differences. And that’s exactly what I believe the House will do.”

BOEHNER: NO VACATION UNTIL WE “FINISH THE NATION’S BUSINESS”:

“The President has said repeatedly that no one should be going on vacation until the work is done. Democrat leaders in the House and Senate have said exactly the same thing. So I think it’s time for Senate Democrat leaders to follow the president’s example, put their vacations on hold, and work in a bipartisan manner to finish the nation’s business.”

TEXT CREDIT: John Boehner | speaker.gov H-232 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-0600 F (202) 225-5117

VIDEO CREDIT: JohnBoehner