Washington, D.C. -— U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) issued the following statement in response to Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel’s announcement yesterday asking for a leave of absence until the ethics committee completes its work:
“My North Carolina neighbors want a Congress that maintains the highest ethical standards. I am glad Chairman Rangel is doing the right thing by stepping aside until the ethics panel has completed its investigation.
“Congress must focus on jobs and the economy. I look forward to my continued work on the Ways and Means Committee to ensure our economic recovery creates more jobs.”
Etheridge also saluted Rangel’s wartime heroism in the U.S. Army. Rangel and Etheridge worked together for several years to develop school construction legislation that Congress finally passed last year.