House Creates New Panel On Ethics

[flashl]

Source: Washington Post

The House last night approved one of the most significant changes to its ethics rules in decades, creating for the first time an independent panel empowered to initiate investigations of alleged misconduct by members of the chamber.

The six members of the new Office of Congressional Ethics would have the authority to initiate preliminary reviews of allegations against House members, conduct investigations and refer their findings to the House ethics committee along with a public report.

...

The final vote, 229 to 182, belied the measure's controversy in the House; 159 Republicans and 23 Democrats opposed it. Even with two House members under indictment, two others sent to prison, and several others under federal investigation, nearly half the House did not want to submit the body to the scrutiny of a panel not under its control.

"If you have a single ounce of self-preservation, you'll vote no," implored Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) last night.

Washington Post

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031102795.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

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Most House Reps are lawyers right? Are 'we' suppose to believe there are no 'backdoors' or escape clauses?

[gatorboy]

1. 159 Republicans opposed new ethic rules.

You can't make this up . :P

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. new Ethics Panel reportedly made out of imported particle board

and disintegrates when wet.

I won't believe it until it actually acts. And frankly, if the first person investigated is a D, that is fine with me. We cannot have ANY unethical activity by either party in congress.

[Kelvin Mace]

5. I am with you

I'll believe it when I actually see it in operation.

[Solly Mack]

3. More from the article

"Three members will be named by the House speaker, and the other three would be selected by the minority leader.

(read: 3 D's, 3 R's)

But the panel will be weaker than some watchdog groups had hoped. An ethics review can be started only if a Democratic appointee and a Republican appointee agree to do so.

The new ethics office will have a staff but lacks subpoena power.

After 30 days or five legislative days, whichever is longer, three panel members would have to approve a deeper investigation. That investigation would have to be concluded in 45 days or five legislative days, whichever is longer, before the matter is sent to the ethics committee, along with a finding of fact and a recommendation of dismissal or further inquiry."

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Can we have Ethics Death Squads?

I mean, if you are going to have the death penalty, it really needs to be used for heinous crimes like public corruption, which is essentially betraying your nation to a private individual or corporation, for money. I think if we carried out executions in the House and Senate chambers of corrupt congressmen, corruption would go WAY down. In fact, I think it would eliminate 90% of the Republicans.

[Schedrin]

6. Congressional Ethics?

Now there's an oxymoron for you.