House GOP Wages War on Ethics Standards

Washington, DC: Despite widespread reports that the House Republican leadership canceled parts of a plan to critically weaken House ethics rules, the Washington Post reported today, "Republicans voted to go ahead with another of their controversial ethics proposals ... that could curtail ethics committee investigations. Under the change, a Republican vote would be required before an inquiry can begin. The committee is evenly divided between the two parties, and under current rules a deadlock means an investigation begins automatically." The Houston Chronicle opined on Sunday, "The new maxim, explicitly designed to protect House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land from possible indictments for campaign law violations, can be summarized as follows: 'When in danger of losing, simply rewrite the rules in the middle of the game to make it impossible for the other side to win.' That's what seems to be happening in Washington, D.C." The editorial noted that the ethics changes which House Republicans have decided to move forward "would have stopped the panel from investigating allegations of campaign finance law violations and issuing several reprimands against DeLay earlier this year."

"It is extremely telling that the first action Republicans have taken with their perceived 'mandate' is to wage an all-out war on House ethics standards -- including threatening to remove Republican House ethics committee chair Joel Hefley (R-CO), who had the courage of his convictions to stand up to the united House Republican leadership," said National Jewish Democratic Council Executive Director Ira N. Forman. "The actions taken by the GOP leadership last night run directly counter to their signed pledge embodied in the 1994 'Contract With America.' The very first principle outlined in that contract was 'accountability;' the very first sentence promises 'to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives.' The same contract goes on to pledge a new Congress, free from the 'cycle of scandal and disgrace.' Yet just out of the starting gate, their first effort in the 109th Congress is to make it harder for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's myriad legal troubles to affect his standing in the House of Representatives.

"It is a sad day for the institution of the House of Representatives. The real story is not that they stepped back from taking every single damaging step they threatened to take; the real story is that they have taken a dramatic step away from government accountability," Forman added.