[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
       REPUBLICANS HAVE GUTTED THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS

  (Mr. AUCHINCLOSS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  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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