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Rangel Plans to Renew Expiring Tax BreaksBy Michael Cohn November 20, 2009 House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., intends to introduce legislation next month that would keep a variety of tax breaks from expiring before the end of the year. Instead of sending the bill through his committee, Rangel plans to dispatch the bill directly to the floor of the House, according to Bloomberg.com. There are about 73 tax provisions scheduled to expire by Dec. 31, including the credit for research and experimentation expenses, deductions for tuition and state and local taxes, film and TV production expensing...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's choice for a top job with the Treasury Department is having tax problems. A congressional report says Obama's nominee for undersecretary of the Treasury for international affairs, Lael Brainard, was late in paying real estate taxes in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The report by the Senate Finance Committee staff also challenges the accuracy of a deduction Brainard claimed for running an office from her home.

Challenging CharlieLast Updated: 5:02 AM, November 14, 2009 Speaking of ethically sketchy members of Congress, what has Rep. Charlie Rangel been up to lately? Well, the Ways & Means Committee chairman -- whose various indiscretions have been before the House Ethics Committee for more than a year now -- introduced legislation last month to curtail the use of off-shore tax havens. Gee, how ironic. Back in 2007, after meeting with Eugene Isenberg of oil-drilling Nabors Industries, Rangel was all for the use of just such a haven -- one that, by sheer coincidence, saved Nabors and three other firms with...

Lawmakers lean on Pelosi and Rangel as controversy mounts over taxes on rumBy Susan Crabtree - 11/12/09 06:00 AM ET The tug-of-war between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands over rum taxes has grown more intense in the wake of House passage of the healthcare bill. Puerto Rico’s top supporters in the lower chamber this week fired off letters to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) imploring them to turn their attention to the dispute between the two island territories. The members who signed the letter to Rangel were Puerto Rico Resident...

Standing on the shoulders of RangelBy STEPHON JOHNSON Amsterdam News Staff Published: Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:05 AM EST Congressman Charlie Rangel: We have your back. That was the theme of Thursday morning’s news conference outside of City Hall, where fellow politicians, nonprofit leaders and businessmen all stood up for the embattled Rangel, who has faced attacks from the right wing calling for him to step down from some of his more prominent positions on congressional committees. “It’s a bum rush, as one might say,” said State Sen. Bill Perkins. “It will create guilt without process, and I don’t think...

'Chuck' bucks have run dryJust 3G in donations for 'Rangel' school By MELISSA KLEIN and ISABEL VINCENT Last Updated: 6:42 AM, November 8, 2009 Donors have contributed just $3,315 to the Rangel Center at City College since the Harlem congressman became enmeshed in scandal last fall. The center -- which critics have derided as a "monument to me" -- needs $30 million to renovate a derelict building in Harlem and fulfill its mission to prepare minority students for public-service careers. But data provided by the college shows Rangel's pet project has amassed just $6.6 million in pledges, and only $650,000...

Rarely does a single piece of mail cause one's heart to flutter, face to flush and knees to buckle. But, then again, rarely does a piece of mail arrive with the dreaded return address: Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service That's the "Welcome Home" that greeted me this past Tuesday as I dragged myself through the front door after a rough day of earning a living, playing golf and ferrying adolescent infants from one suburban soiree to another. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I owed our esteemed and infallible federal government... $11,589.22! Holy smoke. What did I...

Charlie could catch a breakBy DAPHNE RETTER Last Updated: 7:50 AM, November 6, 2009 WASHINGTON -- Rep. Charles Rangel is likely to be cleared on one of a half-dozen ethics charges, it was reported yesterday. Rangel and four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus may be exonerated of allegations of rule violations stemming from a 2008 trip to the Caribbean for a conference, according to the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. **SNIP** Members of Congress are barred from accepting multiday trips from companies that employ lobbyists.

Paul Singer of Roll Call is reporting: The House ethics committee is likely to exonerate five members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) who were accused of taking an improper trip to the Caribbean, according to sources familiar with the case. If this is true, we are not surprised. When we provided photographs and audio recordings from the trip at the request of the Committee in May, we made clear that our willingness to do so was not an endorsement of the Ethics Committee process, which has again proven to be a joke.Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), a member of...

Before taking control of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history." However, with dozens of mostly Democratic lawmakers and various staff under investigation by the House's twin ethics bodies, the majority clearly values political power over clean government. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Charles B. Rangel, 20-term New York Democrat, and Defense Appropriations subcommittee Chairman Rep. John P. Murtha, 19-term Pennsylvania Democrat, are the poster children for how failed ethics cops protect old-guard lawmakers. While under investigation by the ethics committee, they continue to...

Rangel: Ethics talks unrelated to personal finance issuesBy Paul Kane Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 30, 2009; 11:37 AM House ethics committee investigators have interviewed Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee whose personal finances have been under investigation for more than a year, a committee document from July reveals. Committee staff met with Rangel in late July. In an interview with The Washington Post, the lawmaker said the meeting concerned only a recent trip to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten that he and four members of the Congressional Black Caucus took...

Pelosi’s Bill: More Sludge in the D.C. Swamp Yesterday (Oct. 29), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) praised Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) for their help in determining the finances and taxes that will be levied in the new souped-up 1900-page health care bill. This “Affordable Health Care for America Act” (or H.R .3962) bill has been debated for months. It is a perfect example of liberal lunacy and promises reneged. Pelosi’s “gargantuan beast of a bill” contains 13 new tax hikes (“Comprehensive List of Taxes in the House Democrat Bill,” atr.org, October 30, 2009). Rep. Tom Price...

US bill aims to crack down on overseas tax cheatsSTEPHEN OHLEMACHER October 27, 2009 By The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Key lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday aiming to crack down on wealthy U.S. tax dodgers hiding money overseas. The bill would impose new reporting requirements on foreign financial institutions doing business in the U.S., and on American advisers who help U.S. residents make investments overseas. Foreign firms that don't comply would be hit with a 30 percent withholding tax on income from their U.S. assets. The bill, which would raise an estimated $8.5 billion over the next 10 years,...

Carter lapse won't slow Rangel huntBy JOHN BRESNAHAN & JONATHAN ALLEN 10/23/09 4:38 AM EDT House Republicans say they’ll press on with their efforts to dethrone House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel — despite the fact that the Republican leading their charge now faces ethical issues of his own. Rep. John Carter failed to disclose nearly $300,000 in profits from oil stock sales in 2006-07, Roll Call reported Thursday. Carter and the Republicans, though, insisted that they have no intention of backing off their anti-Rangel drive. They note that Carter had paid all the taxes on his stock...

Don't pay taxes, get away with itEvan Helmuth Issue date: 10/19/09 Every year, thousands of Americans cheat on their taxes. What makes this particular tax cheat significant is he is also largely in charge of writing America's tax laws. Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY, is the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee - which is responsible for changes to the tax code - in the House of Representatives. He is about the fourth most powerful person in Congress' lower house. In his position as the "tax-writer-in-chief," Rangel has not been shy about wanting to raise taxes. He has voiced support...

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., understands something that continues to escape House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is radioactive, owing to multiple investigations of his serial failures to disclose millions of dollars worth of income and investments. Rangel had contributed more than $19,000 to Welch, but the Vermonter recently sent it back. That was a good decision because Welch is a member of the House Ethics Committee, which is conducting one of the investigations of Rangel. But it shouldn’t be necessary to be on the ethics panel in order to understand that Rangel’s actions disgrace...

Ethics fight hits Rep. Charles Rangel's campaign funds; could hurt him in 2010 electionBY Michael Saul DAILY NEWS SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Saturday, October 17th 2009, 4:00 AM Rep. Charles Rangel's campaign coffers are being drained by his battle to survive an ethics probe, leaving him vulnerable to a well-funded challenger next year. The Harlem Democrat spent more than $250,000 in campaign cash on legal fees from July 1 to Sept. 30, newly released records show - 56% of his total expenses for the period. His overall lawyer bills now total $1.1 million since a House Ethics Committee probe into his...

Powell will try to win the seat that Rangel took from his father Harlem State Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV may challenge U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel in a race for the congressional seat Rangel has held for nearly 40 years but once belonged Powell’s father. Powell, 47, said he is launching an exploratory committee to see whether he has any chances to win the seat if he runs against the embattled Rangel. "It's no secret I'm interested," Powell said. He has been fund raising since 2004 for a campaign that has yet materialized. He is the son of the late...

Or, I'm confused. There's two stories today that simply don't make sense together. First, here's the bold proclamation by Max Baucus. When it comes time to vote, every Democrat in the Senate -- and perhaps more than one Republican -- will support legislation overhauling the nation's health care system, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee predicted Thursday. That assertion by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., was a notable show of confidence coming in the midst of negotiations with Majority Leader Harry Reid and White House officials to finalize legislation that can satisfy liberal Democrats without alienating moderates -- and get...

I think he's going downhill fast.

Sorry no link, just watched it on Tv. He really went after them...*somebody must be monitoring their braodcast and will be able to put a vid of it up, sometime today...but what a contrast from a few stories before, where Rattiman and guest "expert" were talking about how the "brave", "manly", thing to do, was to pull our troops out of Afghanistan, and not be "wimpy" and "weak" and "caowardly" and just let others force Obama to send more troops.

Rangel probe taking its tollBy GLENN THRUSH | 10/14/09 4:57 AM EDT For years, Charles Rangel has been a visible, vital presence in the Capitol, bantering with reporters or booming gravelly-voiced greetings to well-wishers who yell “Charlie!” at him in the Rotunda. But last week — just before the Republicans’ third attempt to punish Rangel — the Harlem Democrat appeared visibly tired and thinner than usual, and he barely spoke above a whisper when a reporter approached to ask a question. The strains of the ongoing House ethics committee probe into Rangel’s finances — coupled with escalating attacks by the...

The 16 month-long tax and ethics investigation of House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has spawned something few other issues before the 111th Congress has garnered – bipartisanship on the nation’s editorial pages. From liberal publications like the Huffington Post and Daily Kos to conservative bastions such as the Wall Street Journal and Washington Times, editorial boards and writers are joining the call for Rangel to resign as Chairman until the constantly expanding ethics investigation is complete.

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi again covered for Charlie Rangel last week, but new developments suggest her patience is running out -- and with it, perhaps, Rangel's luck. Democrats' resolve to keep Rangel in charge of writing all tax laws, even though he confesses he has failed to pay his own taxes and neglected for years to report millions of dollars in assets, income and business dealings, showed the first signs of cracking when two conservative Democrats bolted the party line and voted against Rangel. Another indication that things were starting to go badly for Rangel came the morning...

U.S. corporate tax hikes likely delayedTue Oct 13, 2009 5:43pm EDT By Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama remains committed to ending "unfair loopholes" and tax breaks for international corporations, but congressional tax writers and others doubt that will happen without broader reforms, such as cutting the top corporate tax rate. Obama ignited fear in corporate America earlier this year when he proposed about $200 billion in tax increases over a decade through tightening corporate tax rules for multinational companies, mostly related to offshore profits. A White House spokeswoman on Tuesday said the president is committed to those...

Congressman Charles Rangel has let New York down with his financial sacandals. New York waited for decades to gain the kind of congressional clout that Rep. Charlie Rangel has wielded as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and now he has let the home team down. Big time. To say that Rangel has become damaged goods is to engage in understatement. His Republican adversaries are taking full advantage of Rangel's many transgressions to make him a walking, talking symbol of Washington hubris for all of America to scorn. Unfortunately for him and for his Democratic colleagues - and,...

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Harlem based banker, Vince Morgan, today announced his campaign to represent New York's 15th Congressional District. The seat has been occupied for the last 40 years by Congressman Charles B. Rangel. "It's time for change," says Morgan. "Our District needs new leadership that is in touch with the community and the issues that confront us today." Morgan's professional career spans two decades in business, banking and public service. His relationships in the communities of Upper Manhattan are extensive. He is a vice president and community banking officer for TD Bank. He chairs the 125th...

Thoughts this week is filled with, eh, thoughts. Featured this week …Dancing With the Stars or American Idol at the White House …What I refuse to believe about that nobel peace prize…some speculation on why this sudden surprise ….My personal rant against Charlie Rangel…I spare him no anger cause Delaware’s not cutting me any slack …keeping a White House Olympic Office…why? …Shopping lists and breast cancer…the connection…the scam? ….that hilarious White House Doctor hoax …Palin’s daughter’s baby daddy a pinup guy…why he’ll regret is someday ….dog poop on air force 1? ….Mike Castle running for senator from Delaware…why he’ll never...

Rep. Charles Rangel drowning in tangle web of ethics chargesBY David Saltonstall DAILY NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Sunday, October 11th 2009, 4:00 AM Rep. Charles Rangel likes to joke that - since the day he got hit with shrapnel on a frigid Korean War battlefield in 1950 - he's "never, ever had a bad day." That said, last week had to be one of Rangel's worst. On Monday, he had to flee a press conference in his own district to avoid questions from reporters and even a surly passerby about his alleged tax and ethical violations. On Wednesday, he had to...

If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's pledge to "drain the [congressional] swamp" of corruption actually had teeth, she'd have to boot more than just embattled Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel. That's the unintended message California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters delivered last week as she defended Mr. Rangel's failure to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income and assets. Mrs. Waters has to defend such collegial corruption because if Mr. Rangel loses his lofty perch, the congresswoman won't be far behind. "I want to tell you, there are many members who, if you go back over all of their...

Analysts: Rangel's woes could be liability for Dems in 2010updated 7:04 p.m. EDT, Thu October 8, 2009 From Ed Hornick CNN WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As one of the most influential Democrats in the House of Representatives, Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York, has seen the highs and lows that come with the job. Lately, it's been a steady drum beat of criticism by Republicans against the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the lead body for writing tax law in the House. Rangel has been under investigation for over a year on several ethics issues, including failure...

CNN VIDEO October 8, 2009- CNN's Anderson Cooper reports on the House Ethics Committee expansion of its investigation of House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY). Joining Cooper are CNN Senior Congressional Correspondents Dana Bash and Joe Johns, as well as NLPC President Peter Flaherty. Click here for 4-page pdf transcript.

If she hopes to survive a bloody battle in 2010 -- one where her own words and actions will be used against her -- Speaker Pelois must insist that New York Congressman Charlie Rangel resign immediately.When she became Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi assured Americans she would “drain the swamp” and clean up ethics violations. To this day, she still boasts about that notion as an accomplishment. Sadly, the swamp is winning. In perhaps the most appalling display of “cronyism,” -- a word Pelosi herself used almost incessantly when Republicans were in power, -- she has allowed her good...

It is time for Democrats in Congress — who once justifiably complained about the corruption of the Republican majority — to demonstrate to Americans that someone in that august body has ethical standards. Instead, House Democrats have again shielded Representative Charles Rangel from his serial ethical messes and ducked their responsibility to force him from the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, maintaining her tunnel vision on behalf of a powerful colleague, led the majority to defeat the Republicans’ latest call to depose the New York lawmaker. She does the nation no favor. Two of her...

Republicans won't relent in pushing Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) to step down from his powerful chairmanship, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) vowed Thursday. A day after most Democrats (and some Republicans) voted to shuffle off a resolution that would have forced Rangel to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Boehner said Republicans would continue to pursue the issue, while holding themselves to a high ethical standard. "The move by House Democrats to simply refer the resolution to the Ethics Committee was an effort to sidestep the issue and make it easier for them to...

The House panel investigating alleged ethics violations by Rep. Charles B. Rangel, New York Democrat, said Thursday it voted unanimously to expand the probe. A statement by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct said its investigative subcommittee already has issued nearly "150 subpoenas, interviewed approximately 34 witnesses resulting in over 2,100 pages of transcripts." The subcommittee also has analyzed more than 12,000 pages of documents and held more than 30 investigative meetings, according to the statement issued by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, California Democrat, who is the committee chairman, and ranking minority member Rep. Jo Bonner, Alabama Republican. However,...

Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is headed for more trouble as the House ethics committee announced Thursday it has expanded its investigation to include Rangel’s financial disclosure reports, which show hundreds of thousands of dollars in previously undeclared personal assets and income. The growing investigation comes as Rangel continues to fight off Republican attempts to oust him from his chairmanship — the House voted largely along party lines on Wednesday to allow Rangel to keep his gavel while the ethics panel continues its months-long probe of the Harlem Democrat.

The House ethics committee has unanimously voted to expand its investigation into embattled Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, promising to further investigate Rangel’s latest re-statement of his personal finances. The growing investigation comes as Rangel continues to fight off Republican attempts to oust him from his chairmanship – the House voted largely along party lines on Wednesday to allow Rangel to keep his gavel while the ethics panel continues its months-long probe of the Harlem Democrat. The committee’s wide-ranging investigation already included an inquiry into Rangel's use of rent-stabilized apartments in a Harlem luxury building, his fundraising on behalf...

First there was a resolution to take a privilege away from a member of Congress due to his corrupt behavior: House Members Wednesday will have to cast a recorded vote on whether it is acceptable for Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) to evade federal taxes for over a decade, and yet pay none of the penalties and interest charges that the IRS piles on the average American taxpayer for far less serious offenses. House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (R-TX) this morning is introducing a Privileged Resolution calling for Rangel to be removed as Chairman of the committee...

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson yesterday condemned members of the House for voting to refer a resolution that would have removed Congressman Charlie Rangel as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

GOP Thwarted; Rangel Escapes With His JobBut Damage Is Done To Congressman As Dems Powerless To Stop Laundry List Of Allegations Made For 30 Minutes Rep. Carter Lays Into Democrats Over Double Standard On Tax Charges Reporting Marcia Kramer Oct 7, 2009 5:19 pm US/Eastern WASHINGTON (CBS) - It was a showdown in Congress. Business came to a standstill on Wednesday as House Democrats and Republicans battled it out over whether to remove embattled Congressman Charles Rangel from his post of a powerful tax committee. Rangel is the fourth most senior member of the House, so it must have been...

"Many members" of Congress suffer from the same disclosure issues as Rep. Charles Rangel (D.N.Y.), one of his allies said Wednesday. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) downplayed the seriousness of allegations against Rangel that he failed to disclose sources of income and pay taxes on some properties, saying that many lawmakers suffer from innocent lapses in judgment when filing mandatory financial disclosure forms. "I want to tell you, there are many members who, if you go back over all of their records, over all of the years, you're going to find that there were disclosures that were not made," Waters said...

Pay your taxes or step down -- that's the message House Republicans are sending to Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee and subject of a major ethics probe into alleged tax evasion and other violations. House Republicans on Wednesday attempted to pass a resolution to remove Rangel from his chairmanship following the reading of a long and stinging list of alleged wrongdoing. The measure stemmed from a major ethics probe into Rangel's alleged failure to pay his taxes and disclose income on multiple properties -- as much as $1.3 million. But House Democrats were...

Rangel dodges the bullet again with a little help from his corruption-enabling friends. Final vote tabling Carter’s resolution to remove Rangel from W&M chairmanship: 243-156. 19 voted present. 3 REPUBLICANS joined the Democrats. Will post roll call vote as soon as it is up.

VIDEO: In advance of the today’s resolution set to be offered by House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (R-TX) to remove Democrat Representative Charlie Rangel as chairman of the chairman of the Ways & Means Committee pending completion of the Ethics Committee investigation, NBC’s Today Show reported on the serious charges Rangel faces. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) sent a letter to Rangel in September asking him to step down as chairman. CQ Politics reported that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) vowed to block any effort by House Republicans to have Rangel step aside as chairman. Following is...

Republicans want Harlem Dem to surrender powerful Ways and Means chairmanshipThe House GOP plans to turn up the heat on Rep. Charles Rangel this afternoon by introducing a resolution calling for the Harlem Democrat to step down from his post as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. The resolution, to be introduced shortly after noon, is not expected to pass in the Democratically controlled Congress, but signals a new era in a GOP campaign against the powerbroker, a campaign that is getting louder and louder each day. Rangel has been dogged by ethics and tax questions...

With the spotlight this week on House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY), we have prepared this timeline of his current problems. Rangel has been involved in so much controversy that it is difficult to keep it all straight. I hope this helps.July 11, 2008- New York Times’ David Kocieniewski reports that Rangel occupies three rent-stabilized apartments in a luxury building, and uses a fourth as a campaign office.July 14, 2008- NLPC files Complaint with the Federal Election commission alleging use of a rent-stabilized apartment for a campaign office comprises an illegal corporate contribution from the landlord. Rangel...

Congressman John Carter (R-TX) takes the Rangel Resolution to the Floor today at noon and we should really drive this home. It’s obnoxious that he hasn’t stepped down and a disgrace that he's the Chairman of Ways and Means after having failed to report a load of financial assets. I hope you'll support Carter's move and link to his blog post today speaking out about it on RedState. Here's the text of the Resolution:

Upon winning the majority in the 2006 election, Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats would usher-in “the most honest, the most open, the most ethical Congress in history.” Yet despite that well-known promise, however, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) remains as chairman of the Ways & Means Committee even though he faces serious charges that are now the subject of an Ethics Committee investigation.