Washblog

Wright and supporters to hold rally on symbolic MONDAY MAY 15
on the steps of Hastings' local offices

Pasco: Monday, May 15, 10:30 am
Hastings' Tri-cities office: 2715 St. Andrews Loop, Suite D
Pasco, WA 99301

Yakima: Monday, May 15, 1:30 pm
Hastings' Yakima office: 302 E. Chestnut
Yakima, WA 98901

Kennewick, WA--U.S. House of Representatives candidate Richard Wright today called on Rep. Richard "Doc" Hastings, R-WA, to resign his position as chair of the Ethics Committee, stating that under Hastings' watch the committee has allowed scandal, bribery and corruption to go unchecked.  

Wright said that Hastings should follow the lead of the ranking Democrat on the Ethics Committee, Alan B. Mollohan, who recently stepped down from his post following allegations of steering money to nonprofits whose leaders contributed to his campaigns. Wright said Hastings should step down for two reasons.  

· First, because under Hastings the Ethics Committee has "done nothing" to investigate corruption in the Congress -- even though one former House member (Randy "Duke" Cunningham) has been convicted for bribery and another (Tom DeLay) has been indicted on charges of money laundering.  Federal investigators, rather than the ethics committee, are targeting Rep. William Jefferson (D-Louisiana) for allegedly demanding cash and other favors for himself and relatives, in exchange for using his congressional clout to arrange African business deals.

· Second, Hastings is responsible for the passage of the Medicare Drug Bill. In charge of timing the vote for the unpopular bill, Hastings broke the House rules, which limit voting to 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, the bill had failed, but Hastings kept the vote open for an unprecedented three more hours so the President could twist arms to pressure lawmakers to change their vote and finally to secure the bill's narrow passage.  

Said Wright: "In this District we call that cheating.  Worse, it's cheating our seniors.  This bill is a rip-off for seniors and for all American taxpayers.  The biggest beneficiaries of this legislation are big pharmaceutical companies and the insurance industry."

Wright and supporters will hold rallies on the steps of Hastings' offices in Pasco and Yakima on Monday, May 15.

Said Wright: "The reason I'm standing in front of Hastings' offices on the deadline of this law is that we owe the passage of this legislation to the manipulation of our Congressman.  I am embarrassed at his performance.  This district deserves better.  This is a start, but the upcoming November elections will allow seniors to voice their disapproval at the voting booth."

The Medicare Drug Law has been criticized as overly confusing and difficult for seniors to navigate.  An independent review found that Medicare's telephone operators frequently gave callers inaccurate or incomplete information, making tough decisions about which plan to choose even more difficult.  According to the study, 60% were misinformed when they contacted the offices.  Further, pharmaceutical companies were not forced to compete for pricing.  Wright, a health care practitioner for nearly three decades said, "The bill prevents the government from negotiating prices with the pharmaceutical companies.  The big companies rake in the profits while our aging parents and grandparents - all American taxpayers - pay the price."

"Hastings may well be the worst Ethics Committee chair in the history of this country.  He should have been a watchdog serving the American people, but instead he has been serving his political pals," Wright said. "Because of Mr. Hastings, the pressure has been put on American seniors to make a tough decision about healthcare.  It's time for Mr. Hastings to feel some pressure to do the right thing and step down."

Richard Wright is available for interviews.  Press is invited to attend the rallies outside the Hastings offices in Pasco, WA and in Kennewick, WA.  Please contact campaign manager, Anna Fahey with inquiries: 509.554.0229.  Campaign website: www.wright06.com.

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