House GOP Tries Once Again To Force Rangel Out Of Ways And Means Chair

House Republicans tried and failed for a third time to force Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) to step down from his post as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Rangel is under investigation for a series of ethics lapses.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) offered a privileged resolution calling for the House ethics committee to immediately create an investigative subcommittee to look into the allegations against Rangel. Under the GOP resolution, Rangel would have had to step down as Ways and Means chairman while the investigation is conducted.

Democrats, joined by 5 House Republicans, voted against the resolution, killing it on a 226-176 votes. 11 members - mainly the ten members of the ethics committee - voted "present" and more than 20 members did not vote.

Meanwhile, Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), who took over as acting chairman of the ethics committee following the death of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), said the panel is will meet next week and will formally begin investigating Rangel, as the New York Democrat has requested.

“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 released by his office. "We have a Standards Committee meeting posted for Wednesday, September 24."