Dems reject motion to punish Rangel

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- House Democrats rejected a call by Republicans to force Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., from his plum committee chairmanship because of ethics cases against him.

The Hill reported Thursday that Republicans want Rangel stripped of his House Ways and Means Committee chairmanship.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, offered a motion that would have stripped Rangel of the chairmanship pending the outcome of the investigations.

Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, acting chairman of the Ethics Committee, said the panel is scheduled to meet next week to begin investigating Rangel, as the New York Democrat has requested it to do.

"It is my intent to recommend to Ranking Member Hastings and the committee that we honor Chairman Rangel's request," Green said in a statement. "We have a Standards Committee meeting posted for Wednesday, September 24."

Rangel, 78, has acknowledged he failed to disclose and pay taxes on at least $75,000 in rental income from a beach front villa in the Dominican Republic. He also has been criticized for using a rent-controlled apartment as a fundraising office.