Republicans Move To Gut Office Of Congresional Ethics...

Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth



Republican congressional critters moving to gut the congressional ethics watchdog really should come as no surprise. Less oversight of their dubious activities is just what the authoritarians would desire, yes?

The move by Republicans in Congress to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics will cut down on “overzealousness,” incoming counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday morning, while leaving in place a “mechanism” with which to address ethical complaints.

Although Conway stopped short of saying the GOP move came with the blessing of the president-elect, she told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that Republican majorities in the House and Senate mean “there's a mandate there for them to make significant change.” She said she had not spoken to President-elect Donald Trump about the move.

“Let's make clear that you're still going to have an Office of Complaint Review. In other words, it’s not like we’re taking away everything,” Conway told “Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos. “Look, there's a very ambitious agenda to push forward. The Republicans have been given the majority in the House and the Senate, most of the governorships, they've won over 1,000 state legislative seats under President Obama's watch. So there's a mandate there for them to make significant change.”

House Republicans voted Monday night during a closed-door meeting to dramatically cut back the powers of the Office of Congressional Ethics, which would put the currently-independent watchdog under the control of the very lawmakers it is supposed to police. The plan, proposed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), would give the office a new name, the Office of Complaint Review, and would "provide protection against disclosures to the public or other government entities," essentially keeping secret any accusations against members of Congress. The proposal would also bar the restructured office from considering anonymous tips.

Then president elect Donald J. Trump weighed in with this.

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. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!

Note Trump's criticism was really aimed at the timing of the GOP efforts to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics, not that doing so was ill advised and should not be done. Typical Trump modus operandi. Note what The Washington Post had to say.

This statement is a neat little trick. It allows Trump to at once: (a) Claim that he was critical of the decision to rein in the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, and (b) Sympathize with the members who view themselves as having legitimate beefs with the office by allowing that it might be "unfair."

Some media outlets will cover it as Trump repudiating the move by House Republicans, but that's not really what he's saying. In fact, Trump isn't really saying much of anything here. He's not saying what House Republicans did was wrong; he's saying it was mis-prioritized. And he's not endorsing its actions either, but he's allowing that the office might have been unfair. It's choose your own adventure.

Update: And sure enough, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer says Trump's beef isn't with what House Republicans did, but rather the timing. "[Trump] says that their focus should be on tax reform, health care and so many other things of greater and far more importance," Spicer said on a conference call. "It's not a question of strengthening or weakening."

And now, if House Republicans reverse course, he can claim credit for making it happen. But if they don't, he's agreed with them that the office is unfair and they're not technically running afoul of him. Win-win.

Apparently ethics in government is not all that important to Trump. Winning IS, period.

Comments

  1. The backstory behind the attempt to derail the independent ethics committee provides a script going forward. Apparently public outrage played a significant role in forcing Congressional Republicans to backpedal. This is what it will take: A vigilant and vocal public applying pressure at every turn.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Republicans need to be continuously reminded that that they serve at the pleasure of the public. If not, the public will vote them out of office.

    Democrats, on the other hand, need to be reminded that they are elected at the pleasure of the public. If not, the public will not put them in office.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is unlikely the gop will act with the rational/best interests of the people of the nation in mind. Their agenda is to consolidate power at the state and federal level, restrict civil liberties (especially of minorities), push the nation towards a more authoritarian less democratic society, and further enrich the wealthiest among us. Relaxing ethics standards and pulling the teeth from oversight is one way to push their agenda(s) forward.

    Vigilance is indeed neccessary (O)CT(O)PUS. We can be sure there will be MANY more issues that will require swift public outrage over the next 4 year's.

    Jerry, you are right. People interested in freedom and civil liberties need to make it clear to the Democratic party that it's past high time it returns to giving the people a positive reason to place their trust in the party and it's politicians/candidates. Then it must follow through on their agenda and promises.

    I'm not optimistic.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

RN USA is a No Judgement Zone (to steal from Planet Fitness), so please, No Judgement of others. We reserve the right to delete any such comment immediately upon detection.

All views are welcome. As long as the comment is on topic and respectful of others.



Top Posts

As the Obama Administration and a Compliant Lame Stream Media Continue the Benghazi Spin...

It's Going To Be Close, Brace Yourself For Continued Polarization of America, Especially if Obama Loses...

Another Republican Accused Of Sexual Misconduct...

Illinois Democrats Move To Tighten Firearm Regulation/Restrictions...

Our Biggest Creditor {China} Tells Us "The good old days of borrowing are over"

The "Scandal" That Won't Go Away...

How A Nation Can and Does Change...

Democrats Bought By Special Interest Money, and They Say It's All Republicans...