Trump breaks with House GOP over gutting ethics watchdog

(Image credit: Getty Images)

President-elect Donald Trump voiced dissatisfaction over Republicans' vote behind closed doors Monday to curb the powers of an independent ethics office that was established nearly a decade ago. "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[?]" Trump tweeted. He added that Republicans should "focus on tax reform, healthcare, and so many other things of far greater importance."

Should the House rules package be adopted on Tuesday, as expected, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) will be renamed the Office of Congressional Complaint Review, and it will be placed under the oversight of the House Ethics Committee.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) opposed the amendment and reportedly spoke out against it during the conference meeting Monday, The Washington Post reports.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.