GOP KOCH REPS VOTE TO HAMSTRING HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE

[Deleted]

GOP KOCH REPS VOTE TO HAMSTRING HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE

www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/with-no-warning-house-republicans-vote-to-hobble-independent-ethics-office.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news



January 2, 2017


House Republicans voted Monday to significantly curtail the power of an independent ethics office set up in 2008 in the aftermath of corruption scandals that sent three members of Congress to jail.

The move to weaken the Office of Congressional Ethics was not public until late Monday, when Representative Robert Goodlatte, Republican of Virginia and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the House Republican Conference had approved the change with no advance public notice or debate.

In its place, a new Office of Congressional Complaint Review would be set up within the House Ethics Committee, which before the creation of the Office of Congressional Ethics had been accused of ignoring credible allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers.

Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the majority leader, opposed the measure, aides said Monday night. The full House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the rules, which will last for two years, until the next congressional elections.

The surprising vote came on the eve of the start of a new session of Congress, with emboldened Republicans ready to push an ambitious agenda on everything from health care to infrastructure, issues that will be the subject of intense lobbying from corporate interests. The move by Republicans would take away both power and independence from an investigative body, and give lawmakers more control over internal inquiries.

Mr. Goodlatte defended the action in a statement issued Monday evening, saying it would strengthen ethics oversight in the House while also giving lawmakers better protections against what some members have called overzealous efforts by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

“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,” he said, in his statement. “The O.C.E. has a serious and important role in the House, and this amendment does nothing to impede their work.”

[Deleted]

Where does Traitor Willie get his slanderous LIES from?

[Walter]

Jan 3, 2017 9:05:18 GMT -5 @muttmk2 said:

Where does Traitor Willie get his slanderous LIES from?

Aint no lie.
First thing one does when draining a swamp is make sure nobody can measure the level of the water. That way one can claim progress while pumping water IN.

[AlaCowboy]

The change in rules carries the appearance of House members taking power away from the office that can investigate them for misconduct, at a time when Republicans are about to have control of two branches of government with a mandate for shaking up Washington.

The proposal would bar the panel from reviewing any violation of criminal law by members of Congress, requiring that it turn over complaints instead to the House Ethics Committee or refer the matter to an appropriate federal law enforcement agency. The House Ethics Committee would also have the power to stop an investigation at any point and bars the ethics office from making any public statements about any matters or hiring any communications staff.
And the ethics office would no longer be able to accept or investigate any anonymous reports of alleged wrongdoing by members of Congress.

The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on it as part of a larger rules package up for consideration Tuesday.
Currently the ethics panel operates as an independent, non-partisan entity that has the power to investigate misconduct against lawmakers, officers and staff of the United States House of Representatives. Originally created by Congress under Nancy Pelosi's speakership in the wake of multiple lobbying scandals, it continued to act as an independent body under then-House Speaker John Boehner.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and other top GOP leaders opposed the change to ethics rules, but rank-and-file members disregarded their views and voted to approve the new structure for ethics reviews going forward, according to a senior House GOP leadership source familiar with the closed-door discussion.
Members of both parties complain that panel often takes up matters based on partisan accusations from outside groups with political motivations, and once they launch a probe members have to mount expensive defense campaigns.


"If a constituent has a complaint, they can still lodge that complaint," Conway told NBC's "Today" show, adding that she hadn't spoken with Trump on this issue specifically. "They just can't do it anonymously. And many of these people -- members and their staffers who have been under investigation -- they have complained about their due process rights being violated and compromised. They need protections, as well."


This "independent" committee was set up by Pelosi to target enemies of the Democrat-run House. Any staffer investigating wrongdoing would suddenly have an anonymous ethics complaint filed against them. Then this "independent" ethics committee (backed by an unlimited budget) investigates and accuses. The staffer then must hire counsel to fight back. A year later the complaint is dismissed and the staffer is $100,000 poorer. Think that staffer will look into a colleagues actions next time? Any congressman that opposed the leadership got the same treatment.

[Walter]

Jan 3, 2017 11:52:14 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

The change in rules carries the appearance of House members taking power away from the office that can investigate them for misconduct, at a time when Republicans are about to have control of two branches of government with a mandate for shaking up Washington.

The proposal would bar the panel from reviewing any violation of criminal law by members of Congress, requiring that it turn over complaints instead to the House Ethics Committee or refer the matter to an appropriate federal law enforcement agency. The House Ethics Committee would also have the power to stop an investigation at any point and bars the ethics office from making any public statements about any matters or hiring any communications staff.
And the ethics office would no longer be able to accept or investigate any anonymous reports of alleged wrongdoing by members of Congress.

The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on it as part of a larger rules package up for consideration Tuesday.
Currently the ethics panel operates as an independent, non-partisan entity that has the power to investigate misconduct against lawmakers, officers and staff of the United States House of Representatives. Originally created by Congress under Nancy Pelosi's speakership in the wake of multiple lobbying scandals, it continued to act as an independent body under then-House Speaker John Boehner.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and other top GOP leaders opposed the change to ethics rules, but rank-and-file members disregarded their views and voted to approve the new structure for ethics reviews going forward, according to a senior House GOP leadership source familiar with the closed-door discussion.
Members of both parties complain that panel often takes up matters based on partisan accusations from outside groups with political motivations, and once they launch a probe members have to mount expensive defense campaigns.


"If a constituent has a complaint, they can still lodge that complaint," Conway told NBC's "Today" show, adding that she hadn't spoken with Trump on this issue specifically. "They just can't do it anonymously. And many of these people -- members and their staffers who have been under investigation -- they have complained about their due process rights being violated and compromised. They need protections, as well."


This "independent" committee was set up by Pelosi to target enemies of the Democrat-run House. Any staffer investigating wrongdoing would suddenly have an anonymous ethics complaint filed against them. Then this "independent" ethics committee (backed by an unlimited budget) investigates and accuses. The staffer then must hire counsel to fight back. A year later the complaint is dismissed and the staffer is $100,000 poorer. Think that staffer will look into a colleagues actions next time? Any congressman that opposed the leadership got the same treatment.

Pelosi hasn't been in power in the House in 6 years, and nobody said anything. Now that there is "swamp draining" on the agenda, Republicans conveniently dispose of a way to measure the water level.
Coincidence?

[AlaCowboy]

Jan 3, 2017 12:33:38 GMT -5 Walter said:

Jan 3, 2017 11:52:14 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

The change in rules carries the appearance of House members taking power away from the office that can investigate them for misconduct, at a time when Republicans are about to have control of two branches of government with a mandate for shaking up Washington.

The proposal would bar the panel from reviewing any violation of criminal law by members of Congress, requiring that it turn over complaints instead to the House Ethics Committee or refer the matter to an appropriate federal law enforcement agency. The House Ethics Committee would also have the power to stop an investigation at any point and bars the ethics office from making any public statements about any matters or hiring any communications staff.
And the ethics office would no longer be able to accept or investigate any anonymous reports of alleged wrongdoing by members of Congress.

The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on it as part of a larger rules package up for consideration Tuesday.
Currently the ethics panel operates as an independent, non-partisan entity that has the power to investigate misconduct against lawmakers, officers and staff of the United States House of Representatives. Originally created by Congress under Nancy Pelosi's speakership in the wake of multiple lobbying scandals, it continued to act as an independent body under then-House Speaker John Boehner.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and other top GOP leaders opposed the change to ethics rules, but rank-and-file members disregarded their views and voted to approve the new structure for ethics reviews going forward, according to a senior House GOP leadership source familiar with the closed-door discussion.
Members of both parties complain that panel often takes up matters based on partisan accusations from outside groups with political motivations, and once they launch a probe members have to mount expensive defense campaigns.


"If a constituent has a complaint, they can still lodge that complaint," Conway told NBC's "Today" show, adding that she hadn't spoken with Trump on this issue specifically. "They just can't do it anonymously. And many of these people -- members and their staffers who have been under investigation -- they have complained about their due process rights being violated and compromised. They need protections, as well."


This "independent" committee was set up by Pelosi to target enemies of the Democrat-run House. Any staffer investigating wrongdoing would suddenly have an anonymous ethics complaint filed against them. Then this "independent" ethics committee (backed by an unlimited budget) investigates and accuses. The staffer then must hire counsel to fight back. A year later the complaint is dismissed and the staffer is $100,000 poorer. Think that staffer will look into a colleagues actions next time? Any congressman that opposed the leadership got the same treatment.

Pelosi hasn't been in power in the House in 6 years, and nobody said anything. Now that there is "swamp draining" on the agenda, Republicans conveniently dispose of a way to measure the water level.
Coincidence?

I have a small stream that runs through the back pasture. At the property line I put in a concrete culvert so it doesn't erode around the fence line. When it gets clogged after a heavy rainfall I usually have to clean out the debris to let the stream flow and drain properly. In summer and fall there sometimes some water moccasins that get washed down the mountainside with the rain. Before reaching into the debris to let the stream drain, I always search out and kill any water moccasins.

Now, if you think you have a better way of clearing that drain without killing any snakes, then next time I will invite you to come clear that drain for me.

[Deleted]

Jan 3, 2017 10:55:12 GMT -5 Walter said:

Jan 3, 2017 9:05:18 GMT -5 @muttmk2 said:

Where does Traitor Willie get his slanderous LIES from?

Aint no lie.
First thing one does when draining a swamp is make sure nobody can measure the level of the water. That way one can claim progress while pumping water IN.

Guess what Walt?  Trump has already thrown his weight onto this, and the House has backed down.
NOW who is the fool?
Why, you and Willie of course!   You HAVE to stop believing Traitor Willie's BULLSHIT.  You have a chance at redemption --- he has NONE.