WASHINGTON - Rep. Marge Roukema, R-N.J., on Tuesday denied a Web publication's report that she is seeking to leave Congress.
A column called "The Inside Edge," posted Monday on Politicsnj.com, said that Rep. Roukema, who rejected an offer from Republican leaders to become U.S. Treasurer in the Bush administration, "has told friends that she wants out of the Congress, if an appropriate post can be found for her."
Rep. Roukema flatly denied that she is eager to turn her back on Capitol Hill and complained that she was not contacted by the publication to give her side of the story.
"There has been much false and wild speculation in the press about my future in the Congress," she said. "In fact, I have been working with Chairman Michael Oxley on the structure of the new Committee on Financial Services, and I am looking forward to new initiatives in the areas of insurance and securities and protecting the safety and soundness of our financial system through regulatory reform."
Rep. Roukema was bypassed for the committee's chairmanship but was named vice chairman and is in line to head a subcommittee.
In an interview with American Banker Monday, she said that the U.S. Treasurer offer was a "token" to make up for her being passed over for the committee chairmanship. She said she told Vice President-elect Richard Cheney the only post she would consider would be a high-level one in the Department of Health and Human Services.
