In an emergency conference meeting Tuesday, House Republicans unanimously agreed to back off plans to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). The reversal came less than a day after House Republicans voted 119-74 in a closed-door meeting to strip the independent ethics panel, tasked with investigating House scandal and corruption, of its powers.
President-elect Donald Trump was publicly critical of the move, tweeting Tuesday that "as unfair" as the independent ethics committee may be, Congress should reconsider making that its "number one act and priority" amid "so many other things of far greater importance."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.