By Pam Martens: July 3, 2012
It is a violation of ethics rules for any member of the House of Representatives to use government equipment or property for political purposes, but the Republican Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Spencer Bachus, is co-opting the taxpayer funded web site, that is part of the legislative branch of Congress, as a political machine against President Obama and House Democrats. A steady campaign of bashing the President and the Democrats is on display.
A provision of the Members’ Handbook “permits the incidental personal use of House equipment and supplies when such use is negligible in nature, frequency, time consumed, and expense. However, this policy applies only to incidental personal use of those resources, and not to their use for campaign or political purposes.” (Emphasis in original.)
Under rules issued by the Committee on House Administration and detailed in the Members’ Handbook and the Committees’ Handbook, websites “May not include personal, political, or campaign information.” (Emphasis in original text).
Below are two slides on the web site that clearly attack the work of Democrats. Below the slides are excerpts from the Blog of the House Financial Services Committee which is also part of the taxpayer funded government site. Perhaps this was going on when the Democrats had control of the House and I’m just discovering it. Regardless, it’s unseemly, a clear abuse of the House ethics guidelines, and it should be demonstrably challenged by ethics in government advocates.
Spencer Bachus, Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Ranks the Democrat-Sponsored Dodd-Frank Act with Fs In a Slide on the Government Web Site
Below are excerpts from posts at the blog of the House Financial Services Committee – frequently little more than an echo chamber of anti-Obama or anti-Democrat OpEds or articles that have appeared elsewhere.
Duffy In Wash Times: Dodd-Frank: One Year Later
Posted on July 21, 2011
Promises are unfulfilled while the costs are real
By Rep. Sean Duffy
It was one year ago today that President Obama signed the so-called “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.” Like other signature pieces of legislation of this administration, the name can be misleading. Like the so-called “stimulus” that stimulated nothing but more government debt, this bill fails to actually reform Wall Street or protect consumers…
September 23, 2011
Government doesn’t create jobs. But it is the responsibility of government to create a fertile environment that enables the economy to grow, that allows businesses to expand and hire. The Dodd-Frank Act — along with other Obama Administration policies such as the stimulus, Obamacare and threats of higher taxes — does the exact opposite.
By: Rep. Jeb Hensarling
Politico
February 12, 2012
As President Barack Obama continues his campaign for a second term, Americans must keep in mind that his major policy visions have already been legislated into reality – and reality has regrettably not lived up to his promises.
