House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (TX-31) today issued the following statement concerning the House Committee on Standards announcement that hearings on alleged ethics violations by former House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel have finally been scheduled for next Thursday:

"It has taken way too long, but I'm pleased that the issues involving Mr. Rangel are moving towards being resolved. The alleged violations are serious enough that the voters deserve to know the verdicts before they cast their votes, as a possible sentence could be expulsion from Congress.

But the fact that Speaker Pelosi has allowed this to drag on for two years is an even more egregious ethical violation on the part of this Congress. This Speaker said she would lead the most ethical Congress in history. Instead, she has presided over the most scandalous sessions of Congress in a century, with these Rangel violations just the tip of the iceberg.

The ultimate ethics committee will meet nationwide the first Tuesday in November, and I believe that verdict will be to clean out this House with a new majority."