House Republicans make corruption great again!
House Republicans have gutted an anti-corruption watchdog that reported to the public:
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives agreed on Monday to weaken a nonpartisan ethics watchdog on the grounds it had grown too intrusive, prompting Democrats to charge they were scaling back independent oversight ahead of a new legislative session.
As they returned to Washington following a holiday break, House Republicans voted in a closed-door meeting to place the Office of Congressional Ethics under the oversight of the House Ethics Committee, giving lawmakers greater control over an independent body charged with investigating their behavior.
The measure was added to a broader rules package that is expected to pass when the House formally convenes on Tuesday.
The ethics office was created in 2008 following several corruption scandals, but some lawmakers have charged in recent years that it has been too quick to investigate complaints lodged by outside partisan groups.
The body will now have to deliver its reports to lawmakers, rather than releasing them directly to the public, according to a summary released by Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte. It will be renamed the Office of Congressional Complaint Review.
Nancy Pelosi scorched her ethics-challenged GOP colleagues:
On Twitter, Pelosi condemned the power grab, writing, “Tmrw @HouseGOP will destroy the office that provides independent ethics process. So much for draining the swamp.”
In an accompanying statement she wrote:
“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. Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress.
“The Office of Congressional Ethics is essential to an effective ethics process in the House, providing a vital element of transparency and accountability to the ethics process. The amendment Republicans approved tonight would functionally destroy this office.
“Congress must hold itself to the highest standards of conduct. Instead, the House Republicans Conference has acted to weaken ethics and silence would-be whistleblowers.”
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Copyright 2017 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo
David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.
* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.
19 responses to House Republicans make corruption great again!
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Foundryman January 3rd, 2017 at 11:46
The first thing they do…the very first thing they do is hide like the cockroaches they are.
Dammitjim January 3rd, 2017 at 11:48
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fc5152f36a7cf1f9285c3d692e7feaa206fc35ac89cf4bb95ed3378c1ea4d1b1.gif
mea_mark January 3rd, 2017 at 11:50
Ok that’s it. We might as well burn it all down and start over. The worst president ever and now uncontrolled corruption. I have now lost faith in the American Government.
Larry Schmitt January 3rd, 2017 at 12:54
What can we expect when it’s set up so the foxes write the regulations that run the hen house?
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:35
the old republic was destroyed when comey and ryan BETRAYED it.
if the new trump government is smart, they will see the wisdom of supporting an appropriate pay for military personnel bill. they are the ones sacrificing the most, they should be receiving the most financial reward. why the hell should someone who is willing to place theirself in harm’s way for the new trump government receive any less than a mega mouth newtonian snake oil salesman BSer?
oldfart January 3rd, 2017 at 12:09
Ya just can’t let ethics stand in the way of making this country great again…
Why doesn’t the up coming congress just pass a law requiring that every American
bend over and grab their ankles and just get it over with ?
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:28
if they’re smart, they’ll prepare an appropriate pay for military personnel that places them at the TOP of the financial rewards list instead of themselves or some less deserving mega mouth newtonian snake oil salesman BSer.
Rebeccamrice January 4th, 2017 at 08:12
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!mj344d:
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Buford2k11 January 3rd, 2017 at 12:53
News flash…the gop pulled that item from the bill…the optics were looking a little bit swampish….
Larry Schmitt January 3rd, 2017 at 12:53
Again? Don’t you mean still? When was corruption not part of the modus operandi, for both parties? The government has been bought and paid for for years.
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:24
and it damn well past time for those who sacrifice the most (military personnel) receive an absolute minimum of EQUAL financial rewards!
support the appropriate pay for military personnel bill that republicans should have on trump’s desk for the FIRST signature of the leader of the new trump government!!!
fahvel January 3rd, 2017 at 13:05
how do repugs close a door, have a secret meeting and change a rule or law single handedly in the fine and open democracy of the usa?
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:19
it’s probably just another one of their ‘good campaign devices’?
like the LYING BS the republican FBI make up in reports?
amersham1046 January 3rd, 2017 at 13:53
The lobbyists are filling up their slush fund buckets, it is going to be a busy spring
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:18
EACH and EVERY member of the military that will be placing their lives at the most risk should receive at the very absolute least minimum EQUAL amount.
ratterrior January 3rd, 2017 at 15:54
Scott Walker did the exact same thing in Wisconsin when he gutted the state’s nonpartisan Government Accountability Board, that was responsible for election oversight and enforcing ethics codes. Why do you think he isn’t in prison? Who will hold him responsible now? He’s also changed the laws on campaign financing. All Republicans know is cheating and covering their corrupt asses.
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:16
walker is one of the republicans that loathe the members of the military and shows it through his support of placing those who are willing to sacrifice the most for the new trump government at the lower end of the financial rewards but has no qualms with supporting outrageous salaries for worthless mega mouthing newtonian snake oil salesmen BSers.
Personally, I think the members of the military SHOULD be honored with the higher financial packages, or at the very absolute least EQUAL.
Hope you will help to support the appropriate pay for military personnel bill that republicans who honor the military should be placing on trump’s desk for his very first signature when the new government of trump takes power?
granpa.usthai January 3rd, 2017 at 23:02
republicans who value the service of the military will be more than happy to sponsor, support and vote for appropriate pay for military personnel!
the basic recruit that is training to place his very life in defense of the new trump government should receive no less than the highest paid federal employee’s total package.
right?
Bunya January 4th, 2017 at 14:25
Corruption is the norm for republicans. When Cheney wanted to bomb Iraq, he just made up some bullsh*t excuse about yellow cake, which in turn led many democrats to vote in favor of a war because they didn’t want to look weak on terror. We lost over 4000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens. On the brighter side, Bush and Cheney made out like bandits.