Last Thursday, the House did not consider anything, but Two questions about privilege resolution It called for the release of a “draft report” on the House Ethics Committee's investigation into allegations of misconduct by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives on November 13 while President-elect Donald Trump's nomination to be U.S. attorney general was pending in the Senate. Then, on November 16, he withdrew his nomination under considerable pressure.
On April 9, 2021, the House Ethics Committee began investigating allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, and related misconduct. At the time of his resignation from the House, the committee was preparing to issue its final report.
The report's relevance faded once Gates withdrew his nomination, but given his announced plans to remain in the public eye in some capacity, though not as a member of the next Congress, there is some interest. It remains.
It is possible that he will continue to be appointed to non-authorized positions within the government. No matter what career path he takes, the truth of the allegations will still be interesting.
That's why on December 5, two members of the House of Representatives asked a series of questions about the privileges of the House of Commons, a highly privileged matter. Provided by Congressman Sean Kasten (D-Illinois) And the second is Congressman Steve Cohen (Democrat of Tennessee). Neither representative is a member of the Ethics Committee, but if the Speaker (on the advice of the MPs) determines that the resolution is eligible, any member of the House can ask such a highly privileged question. can be raised.
Chairman Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has previously said that the chairman cannot be involved in Ethics Committee matters. But a week later, he asked the committee not to publish the report, saying it would set a “terrible precedent” and “open Pandora's box”.
Kasten said in the preamble to the resolution: objected to that argument. He cited three previous cases in which the Ethics Committee issued reports on members who had already left Congress, and examples in which the committee continued to investigate after the member it investigated had resigned from the House. Ta.
Mr. Kasten and Mr. Cohen's resolution was introduced at the close of business last Thursday. Both cases were preempted and disposed of by motions filed by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) to refer them to the Ethics Commission, essentially to kill them. Ta. Scalise was each recognized for an hour of debate; he dismissed the first word By observing that with Gates' resignation, “that issue is moot.” He then moved the voting question to ref.
Regarding the second resolution, Scalise observed that the House could debate the resolution for “an hour or four hours…but the bottom line is…why aren't we getting back to work for the people of this country?” I was dedicated to doing that. One report said the comment drew laughter among the few lawmakers in the chamber, as Congress had relatively little business this week.
For example, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives considered and passed 20 bills that would rename postal facilities across the country. This saved me one additional such bill on Thursday. Renamed post office in Plains, Georgia.Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office.
The vote to refer the Gates resolutions to the committee was almost bipartisan, with all but one Republican voting to refer them and all Democrats voting against them. What was particularly surprising was the number of members who did not vote. Voting on Kasten's resolution was The reference was 206-19829 members did not vote (13 Republicans, 16 Democrats). As for Mr. Cohen's decision, The nomination vote was 204 to 198.15 Republicans and 16 Democrats did not vote.
Questions regarding the privileges of the House of Commons under Article 9 of the Rules of the House of Commons “affect the rights of the House, its security and dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.” These typically attract high levels of interest and heated debate, often along deep partisan lines. They are one of the tools that minority parties sometimes use to embarrass the majority.
There could be several reasons for the lack of attendance during last week's late-night vote, including illness of a member, a family emergency, or a conflict at the meeting. Numerous Christmas parties were held for member firms, and the official Christmas tree was lit at the White House.
The fact remains that there were clear signs of interest in making the report public. It is possible that Gaetz's return to a high-level post could reignite calls for his release, but for now at least it appears to have faded politically.
Don Wolfensberger is a 28-year veteran of Congressional staff, culminating in 1995 as Chief of Staff on the House Rules Committee. He is the author of Parliament and the People: Deliberative Democracy in Courts (2000) and Cultural Change. Congress: From Fair Play to Power Play” (2018).
