'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
A Democratic committee chairman overrode his own subpoena three years ago in an investigation of former subprime mortgage lender Countrywide to exclude records showing that he, other House members and congressional aides got VIP discounted loans from the company, documents show.
Before Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. testified to the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, the ranking Democrat had a warning for his colleagues on the panel: Play nice.
House investigators want to interview Angelo Mozilo, the former Countrywide Financial Corp. chief executive whose VIP program gave discounted mortgages to member of Congress, other government officials and influential people who could help the company.
The House Republican campaign chairman, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, has been notified that he received a discounted mortgage from the now-defunct Countrywide Financial Corp.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, a Republican stalwart who formerly was chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, said Thursday he won't seek an 18th term in office this year.
While the majority party typically hangs on as long as it can in Congress, in California, where redistricting has significantly altered the congressional map, two senior Republican House members in recent days said they're calling it quits, with more reportedly mulling the option.
!["There has been some progress ... and a lot of it has to do with fencing, with increased border patrol agents. [But] the Tucson area is still in disarray," Rep. Benjamin Quayle said on "America's Morning News." (Associated Press)](http://media.washtimes.com/media/image/2011/05/11/20110511-202833-pic-850547290_s101x80.jpg?873417e8e93934a57bd1163f9f390ea9fd013912)
Rep. Benjamin Quayle said Wednesday that it was "absurd" for President Obama to assert that the U.S.-Mexico border is secure.
A group that backs a visa program designed to bring high-skilled foreign workers to the U.S. says that some of the approximately $3 billion in visa fees paid by employers benefits science and math scholarships, U.S. worker training and anti-fraud activities.
Another Republican named in the report, California Rep. Elton Gallegly, said he wasn't aware of any preferential treatment for one Countrywide loan he received in 2004.
Jerry Lewis, Wally Herger and Elton Gallegly — have announced plans to retire.
