House Page Program Under Scrutiny Again

The House page program has lost two Republican board members, who quit yesterday after reports of inappropriate behavior by pages, the Hill reports. Four teens were dismissed for shoplifting and sexual activity, and the lawmakers say the House clerk failed to inform the board of the incidents in a timely fashion, a grave error in the wake of the Mark Foley sex scandal. No members of Congress were involved in the most recent incidents.

In resigning, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia cited “failed leadership” and Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida called for stricter supervision of pages. "These are 15- and 16-year-old kids, and their parents are trusting Congress to protect them," said a spokesman. The House clerk says pages are governed by a “zero-tolerance policy” instituted by Nancy Pelosi. (More congressional pages stories.)