Who could possibly have seen this coming? Well, it wasn’t that hard. I have already said today that the GOP platform will be “Investigate, Terminate, Retaliate,” and this one would fall into the terminate category. On the first day of real business, the House rules package included neutering the Congressional Ethics Office, downsizing it drastically, and driving Democrats out. They don’t even have enough sense of shame to try to hide it.
From
The rules package would also gut the Office of Congressional Ethics, barring it from hiring new staffers while retroactively imposing term limits on members of its board — which would remove three of four Democrats. Republicans also plan to eliminate labor unions of congressional staffers, after the Congressional Workers Union negotiated its first-ever contract just last month
Well, last month, the House was controlled by people who believe that ethics and transparency are a good thing. One can tell just how damaging such a move will be by who speaks out in favor of it. None other than “Wrong way George Santos” loves it:
NEW: Caught up w/ George Santos before the House passed a new package that will gut the Office of Congressional Ethics. He had high praise for it.
"I think it's fantastic," he said.
"It's a good thing for transparency, it's a good thing for Americans."https://t.co/be5Z8xF4yN
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) January 10, 2023
How can he possibly call this a great move for transparency? The office exists to look for corruption and a lack of transparency. Adding personnel and giving them more money for equipment while ensuring it’s bipartisan would be good for transparency. Instead, they do the opposite.
A good rule of thumb. If George Santos likes it, then it is a move to protect Republicans and politicize policing the body itself. Talk about “weaponizing government.” On the one hand, it’s unbelievable. On the other, it’s 100% believable. Indeed, inevitable.
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, SUBSTACK: MUCH LEFT ADO
Gutting the Office of Congressional Ethics brings it right into line with that old oxymoron, republican ethics.
Or the RW, LACK of!
It’s “The Office of Congressional Ethics,” not”The Office of House Ethics.” Doesn’t the Senate have something to say about this? Not that that would be foolproof – but this does seem to violate the separation of powers.