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The failed attempt by Republicans to rein in an independent ethics office was the culmination of years of mounting frustration on Capitol Hill.
While House Republicans backed down Tuesday from their effort to tighten oversight of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), the complaints about the office are unlikely to subside in the new Congress.
Lawmakers in both parties have griped about the OCE since its creation in 2008, saying the office’s powers are overly broad and can be used for partisan purposes.
Basically - they don't want the oversight. The article sites numerous examples. My guess is that most of us probably figured that out.
Who created the OCE?
Democrats created the OCE after winning the 2006 elections in part on a promise to “drain the swamp” — a phrase President-elect Donald Trump co-opted in the final weeks of the presidential campaign.
At the time, the public was clamoring for Washington to clean up Capitol Hill after the corruption and bribery scandal involving former super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff that ensnared several lawmakers and aides.
Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) set up a bipartisan panel that developed a plan to hold members more accountable. OCE was the result.
Intended to complement but not replace the House Ethics Committee, the OCE is comprised of four Republicans and four Democrats, each nominated by the congressional leader of their respective parties. None may be employees of the federal government.
Well maybe Pelosi is good for something after all.
The Office of Congressional Ethics, a powerful symbol of Democrats’ promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington, is in danger of having its power stripped after the midterm elections.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have led the charge, airing complaints about the aggressive, independent panel in a private session with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last month, and they’ve drafted a resolution that, if approved, would severely curtail the panel’s power.
...
The OCE is “out of control,” one House Republican told POLITICO. A Democrat close to Pelosi said the OCE was “way out of bounds” when it sent information to the Justice Department on an investigation into lawmakers’ ties to the defunct PMA lobbying group.
...
The threat to the OCE’s independent authority was underscored Wednesday when a group of government watchdog groups released a letter to Pelosi, calling on her to keep the office intact.
“To date, the OCE has made important progress in restoring the shattered credibility of the House ethics enforcement process,” wrote six groups, including the League of Women Voters, The Campaign Legal Center and Public Citizen.
The failed attempt by Republicans to rein in an independent ethics office was the culmination of years of mounting frustration on Capitol Hill.
While House Republicans backed down Tuesday from their effort to tighten oversight of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), the complaints about the office are unlikely to subside in the new Congress.
Lawmakers in both parties have griped about the OCE since its creation in 2008, saying the office’s powers are overly broad and can be used for partisan purposes.
Basically - they don't want the oversight. The article sites numerous examples. My guess is that most of us probably figured that out.
Who created the OCE?
Democrats created the OCE after winning the 2006 elections in part on a promise to “drain the swamp” — a phrase President-elect Donald Trump co-opted in the final weeks of the presidential campaign.
At the time, the public was clamoring for Washington to clean up Capitol Hill after the corruption and bribery scandal involving former super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff that ensnared several lawmakers and aides.
Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) set up a bipartisan panel that developed a plan to hold members more accountable. OCE was the result.
Intended to complement but not replace the House Ethics Committee, the OCE is comprised of four Republicans and four Democrats, each nominated by the congressional leader of their respective parties. None may be employees of the federal government.
Well maybe Pelosi is good for something after all.
We also need a committee to oversee the RAISES that Congress keeps giving itself. A bunch of millionaires sitting there, going on vacation more than they work, voting themselves raises every few years. How in the Hades did that system get started? That's built-in corruption.
I like the OCE because it knock some lawmakers to jail but at the same time... shouldn't they also target the Senate? Why are they limited in scope to only the house? And why is Charles Rangel not in jail? Is the OCE really working?
I like the OCE because it knock some lawmakers to jail but at the same time... shouldn't they also target the Senate? Why are they limited in scope to only the house? And why is Charles Rangel not in jail? Is the OCE really working?
From the article...
OCE also cannot punish lawmakers for any wrongdoing it uncovers, and may only refer its findings and recommendations to the House Ethics Committee. There is no independent ethics office for the Senate.
Being that Pelosi started it, only applicable to the House.
Why would the Senate want that? They see that the House members hate it... the Senate would not want to do that to themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pknopp
What should really scare the hell out of those who are afraid of Trump is that he shut this entire thing down with a single tweet.
Why would he do that after he just effectively kept it going... with a single tweet?
Well, OK - I know why - but I think he understood what he did. He is not accountable at all to Congress from a relational standpoint - that's for sure. He owes them nothing. They are not why he will be President.
I like the OCE because it knock some lawmakers to jail but at the same time... shouldn't they also target the Senate? Why are they limited in scope to only the house? And why is Charles Rangel not in jail? Is the OCE really working?
No, it's not. It's just another useless layer of government.
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