Independent Oversight of Congressional Ethics? Nah...

[Deleted User 8570]

Absolutely lovely folks...

House GOP votes to gut independent ethics office
BY DONNA CASSATA
11 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Monday voted to eviscerate the Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent body created in 2008 to investigate allegations of misconduct by lawmakers after several bribery and corruption scandals sent members to prison.

The ethics change, which prompted an outcry from Democrats and government watchdog groups, is part of a rules package that the full House will vote on Tuesday. The package also includes a means for Republican leaders to punish lawmakers if there is a repeat of the Democratic sit-in last summer over gun control.

Under the ethics change pushed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics would fall under the control of the House Ethics Committee, which is run by lawmakers. It would be known as the Office of Congressional Complaint Review, and the rule change would require that "any matter that may involve a violation of criminal law must be referred to the Committee on Ethics for potential referral to law enforcement agencies after an affirmative vote by the members," according to Goodlatte's office.

Lawmakers would have the final say under the change. House Republicans voted 119-74 for the Goodlatte measure despite arguments from Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., against the change. They failed to sway rank-and-file Republicans, some of whom have felt unfairly targeted by the OCE.

"The amendment builds upon and strengthens the existing Office of Congressional Ethics by maintaining its primary area of focus of accepting and reviewing complaints from the public and referring them, if appropriate, to the Committee on Ethics," Goodlatte said in a statement.

Democrats, led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, reacted angrily.

"Republicans claim they want to 'drain the swamp,' but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions," the California lawmaker said in a statement. "Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress."

Chris Carson, president of the League of Women Voters, said Ryan should be ashamed of himself and his leadership team.

"We all know the so-called House Ethics Committee is worthless for anything other than a whitewash — sweeping corruption under the rug. That's why the independent Office of Congressional Ethics has been so important. The OCE works to stop corruption and that's why Speaker Ryan is cutting its authority. Speaker Ryan is giving a green light to congressional corruption."

The OCE was created in March 2008 after the cases of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., who served more than seven years in prison on bribery and other charges; as well as cases of former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, who was charged in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and pleaded guilty to corruption charges and former Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., convicted on corruption in a separate case.

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[screen glare]

And you won't hear a peep out of Trump's chickens or chicks - whether those in congress, or the minority of easily-conned Americans who voted for him.

[Bryce]

And you won't hear a peep out of Trump's chickens or chicks - whether those in congress, or the minority of easily-conned Americans who voted for him.

His chickens and chicks don't have to peep. The top cock speaks for himself...

“With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority,” Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning. “Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!’

[SoupySez]

On the other hand. Maybe not.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/after-backla ... 17907.html

[Plate Cap]

And you won't hear a peep out of Trump's chickens or chicks - whether those in congress, or the minority of easily-conned Americans who voted for him.

Appears that crystal ball needs a little Windex.

[TC Talks]

In case anyone forgot Trump hates most of the Republicans and vice versa. I hope it stays this bloody for the entire four years.

[Plate Cap]

I hope it stays this bloody for the entire four years.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, as when they fail the country's operation and general efficacy fails. It might make for good parlor discussion, complete with plenty of "I told you so" statements, but I'm not sure I want to trade prosperity for that. It does appear, though, many are willing to do so.

If I'm going to hope for something it would be a robust economy and a properly working government.

That said, the insolence, especially in light of the results of the last election, of lawmakers making a move like this says they still are completely out of touch with the people that put them where they are. I have not cast an enthusiastic vote in a presidential election since Ronald Reagan, and locally since Joe Hune. Trump was the lesser of two evils, by a minuscule amount, but he sure is nothing to write home about.

I'm not going to let that mar my hopes for a strong and successful nation and a path upward from the depths we currently occupy. Hope springs eternal; there is nothing to be gained by hoping for the worst.

[screen glare]

Nancy Pelosi's tweet unmasked for the social media Trump haters what the unethical right wingers in congress were about to do.

Showman Trump - realizing the bad optics that had now moved center-stage - bullied those republicans to can it, while at the same time agreeing with them that the independent ethics oversite may indeed be "unfair".

Of course by that time social media had already yielded a tsunami of anti-republican/anti-Trump backlash. And it wasn't his voters as much as it was Hillary's millions more blue ocean of support.

Make no mistake - Trump is the stage manager of his three ring greatest show on earth.

[Calvert DeForest]

I'm not going to let that mar my hopes for a strong and successful nation and a path upward from the depths we currently occupy. Hope springs eternal; there is nothing to be gained by hoping for the worst.

Agreed. I think we would all like to be pleasantly surprised. Granted, I'm not holding my breath. We've heard the spiel before, and I certainly have concerns about some things that were said during the campaign, but I've written a lot of it off as rhetoric. Right now it's just a wait-and-see game. I really don't want four years of "entertainment" like we've seen over the past 18 months.

[Deleted User 8570]

I'm not going to let that mar my hopes for a strong and successful nation and a path upward from the depths we currently occupy. Hope springs eternal; there is nothing to be gained by hoping for the worst.

Agreed. I think we would all like to be pleasantly surprised. Granted, I'm not holding my breath. We've heard the spiel before, and I certainly have concerns about some things that were said during the campaign, but I've written a lot of it off as rhetoric. Right now it's just a wait-and-see game. I really don't want four years of "entertainment" like we've seen over the past 18 months.

There's no sign the "Entertainment" is stopping...

What I find interesting is that if he used rhetoric he won't act on that was that acidic then what was the point? He could have gone the inclusive route and had the same general message without the nutso stuff attacking all these folks and easily beaten Hillary... I think he tried to lose the entire way...

[Bryce]

There's no sign the "Entertainment" is stopping......

Not sure if the comedic stage show that may be coming can be worse than the "tragedy" that has been presented the past eight years.