Republicans Have Gutted the Office of Congressional Ethics

Floor Speech

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Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the changes the House rules package made to the Office of Congressional Ethics. OCE is a critical independent ethics watchdog, and it is a poor indication of the GOP's commitment to integrity that House Republicans have gutted the OCE as their first act in the majority.

The Republican rules package term limits the members of the OCE board, and in doing so removes the three Democratic members of the bipartisan board, giving Republicans a majority of seats instead of maintaining an even partisan divide. These rules also require the OCE to hire staff within a month, which requires a vote of four board members, guaranteeing a partisan lean amongst most staff.

With these rules changes, my Republican colleagues are deviously turning the Office of Congressional Ethics into a zombie, alive in name but unable to execute its vital mission of investigating misconduct and ridding Congress of corruption.

After 14 failed Speaker votes and the undermining of independent ethics reviews, House Republicans have demonstrated their commitment to dysfunction and poor governance.

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