Pelosi with Rangel and Neal - Decisions, Decisions - image Washington Post
Charles Rangel, the New York 15th District’s Newly Reelected Congressional Representative will most likely face a body of his peers publicly expressing (within the Halls of Congress), their displeasure over Congressman Rangel’s behavior. The Boston Globe reporting on Rangel’s “punishment”, suggests that Congress may “vote to censure Rangel for fundraising and financial misdeeds that violated congressional rules. Other possibilities are less serious. They include a reprimand, a fine or a report deploring his conduct.” There is no suggestion that the crimes committed by Rangel would end in his expulsion from Congress as outlined in the rules governing House Ethics for the 11th Congress (http://ethics.house.gov). In other words, Rangel is facing a slap on the wrist for breaking 11 of 13 Ethics rules.
Rangel, who chaired the House Ways and Means Committee (which writes our tax policy), stepped down when gently pushed by then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and replaced by senior member Sander Levin of Michigan. Levin, for all appearances was keeping the seat warm for Rangel, however, as time went by, Congressional egos came into play and other members began to eye the Top Job.
Enter Richard Neal - the Massachusetts 2nd District Congressional Representative, who faced a rather tough reelection in 2010 (having gone unchallenged for decades), defended his seat against newcomer Tom Wesley (Republican), and spent millions to hold onto the district seat. Neal who has been vying for the Top Spot on the Committee for years, still managed to support other Democrat members of Congress during the 2010 midterms to a paltry tune of of $70,000 (Politico). Apparently, when one wants a Chair on a Committee one literally “buys” the votes of a peer by donating to his or her campaign. Unfortunately, due the challenge Neal faced in his district (Wesley received 40 plus% of the vote); he had little opportunity to spread the wealth – even though he has a considerable war chest.
Although Neal won the election, the Chair of the Committee will go to a Republican as that party has the majority in the House. Therefore, Neal is seeking to become the Highest Ranking Democrat on the committee – a vantage point from which, others have had a great impact on U.S. policy including one Barney Frank, (MA4). Frank, who while a ranking Committee member for the Democrats managed to make decisions affecting Mortgage giants Freddie and Fannie.
Neal, not deterred, has announced he will challenge Rangel’s replacement, Sander Levin, for the top spot. An article in Business Weekconfirmed his intentions yesterday. Neal, who’s backing comes from big business, is a frequent guest of the non-partisan Tax Counsel Policy Institute whose board members include representatives from major insurers and pharmaceutical companies.
Neal may be in the best jockeying position for the seat in question, due to his straight party line votes with Nancy Pelosi in the 111th Congress, including support of the Health Care Reform Act. Neal even went a step further to please Pelosi and also supported including illegal immigrants in entitlement programs. Therefore, Neal may be the new House Minority Leaders’ (Nancy Pelosi) choice to move into what would have been Rangel’s spot on the Committee, a step down for Rangel, a step up for Neal somewhat.
However, all that lobbying on Neal’s part may come to naught, as Rangel is, in all likelihood, not facing an expulsion from Congress, rather a “stiff reprimand” via censure. Another member of the Massachusetts Democrat Congressional Congress also faced a similar “fate” and managed to parlay that misfortune into the Chair of the House Finance Committee – one Barney Frank. Granted in Frank’s case, there was some time that passed between his “trial by peers”, (which resulted in a Congressional “shame on you”, and then a pat on the back) eventually leading (when Democrats regained control of the House) to the top spot. Therefore, unless Rangel himself relinquishes the power he perceives he has, and maintains Nancy's blessing with by a mere reprimanded, should the Democrats gain the House in 2014 or 2016 (historically appropriate) he may find himself in the Top Job again. This of course, hinges on all three - Rangel, Neal and Levin – still holding seats by that time (retirement by either the electors or a personal decision).
In any regard, the final decision will rest with the Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi – whose charges against Rangel in the first place were based on politics at that time - now that Progressives believe that they will regain the House in 2012, she may decide to bump Neal for Rangel. Of course, Pelosi, Neal, Frank, Rangel and Levin are all up for reelection in 2012, and Neal will again face opposition, as Republican’s and Independents are now in the process of vying for position to take on Neal after this particular election confirmed he was vulnerable. (An election return which, one can be sure, the new Minority Whip is well aware.
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