WASHINGTON -- The four members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation condemned former Rep. Mark Foley's behavior with House pages in harsh terms, calling for a bipartisan investigation to unearth the facts of the scandal.

Rep. James Langevin pronounced himself "shocked and disappointed and angry" over the Florida Republican's lurid e-mail contacts with the teenage students, who act as messengers or low-level aides in the Congress.

"Clearly this should have been brought to the attention" of responsible House members long before it was, Langevin said in a telephone interview shortly after Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and other House leaders announced plans for an investigation.

But Langevin stopped short of calling for any specific sanctions against any officials. "The most important thing now," he said, is to discover all the facts of the scandal.

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy said in a statement issued by his office, "Like all Americans, I am always deeply disturbed when I hear of unthinkable behavior involving adults and minors. In this situation, this abhorrent behavior has been exacerbated by the denial and failure to take action by the Republican leadership of the House."

Kennedy said, "Those involved through commission or omission need to be held accountable. Confidence in this program has been shattered and can only be repaired with a vigorous, nonpartisan investigation with immediate and long-term changes to ensure activity like this can never take place again."

Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, the only Republican in the state delegation, issued two statements. As he appeared on the campaign trail with Sen. John McCain Wednesday, Chafee joined the Arizona Republican in calling for the appointment of a bipartisan congressional panel to investigate the Foley episode "and the involvement of House leadership in a cover-up of the information."

"I agree with Senator McCain's call for fast action to determine who, if any, are responsible for the suppression of this information," said Chafee. He said anyone involved in a cover-up should step down from their leadership positions.

Earlier in the week, Chafee had issued a statement that said, in part, "It has been disturbing to watch the details unfold surrounding the conduct of Congressman Foley."

Sen. Jack Reed was traveling in Iraq and Afghanistan, but his press secretary, Chip Unruh, issued a statement that said, in part, that the senator is "disgusted by Mr. Foley's actions and disappointed with how Speaker Hastert and others appear to have ignored the early warning signs. The handling of this matter involving children is deeply disconcerting. The House leadership owes America's parents a full and swift investigation about whether this could have been prevented."

jmulligan@belo-dc.com / (202) 661-8423