The Boston Globe: The Ethics Fight in the House has Exposed GOP Infighting

WASHINGTON — House Republicans, faced with a firestorm of public anger and presidential disapproval, abandoned a just-approved amendment Tuesday that would have gutted the independent House Office of Congressional Ethics.

The swift reversal, which came less than 24 hours after the proposed changes were announced, highlights the current degree of discord in Washington.

The amendment, which rebellious Republicans adopted in a closed-door session Monday night with no public airing, was retracted Tuesday afternoon in the face of a disapproving tweet from the President-elect Donald Trump, an organized protest by ethics watchdog groups, and the outcry of congressional Democrats and some Republicans.

“The ill-fated move, and resulting public relations backlash, gave surprised Democrats ample ammunition for criticism.

Representative Seth Moulton of Salem called the amendment ‘ridiculous and frightening.’ He specifically criticized the proposal for banning the ethics office from employing a spokesman. The rule changes would also have limited the ethics office’s investigative powers and undermined its independence by appointing a committee of politicians for oversight. ‘Is there any American out there that think Congress is too ethical?’ Moulton asked.”

After Tuesday’s reversal, the House began debating an overall rules package bill that did not include the amendment to alter the ethics office.

The chaotic events surrounding the House ethics office signaled a lack of coordination of Republican moves as the party works on seizing greater control of Washington. It also demonstrated that House leaders and Trump will be contending with an unruly rebellious faction in the GOP caucus, a dynamic that has bedeviled the party brass for years.

Full article here.