Donald Trump criticises new Republican Congress for dismantling independent ethics board

And he and many other conservative free traders sure don’t like the other tweets Trump sent out Tuesday slamming General Motors for making some cars in Mexico that it ships backs to dealers in the US tax free.

On Monday night, Republican lawmakers announced that they had voted privately to put Congress in control of investigating its own members, stripping the independence of the Office of Congressional Ethics.

McHenry spokesman Jeff Butler said his boss voted against the proposal Monday “because he did not believe the House Rules package was the proper place to make changes to the OCE”.

Speaking Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week”, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump plans to “repeal a lot of the regulations and actions that have been taken by this administration” after he takes the oath of office.

It is not coincidental that House members cut the legs out of the OCE in the first day of session (prior to them even being sworn in Tuesday) and behind closed doors.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised past year to restore the “regular order” in the budget process, presumably with the traditional 12 appropriations bills that had undergone committee scrutiny.

House Republicans, meanwhile, seem to have read between Trump’s not-so-subtle lines, and are reportedly promising to revisit their plans to gut the ethics panel sometime soon.

Both the proposal to eliminate the ethics board and the push to revive earmarks smack of a sheltered majority impervious to the political ramifications of upending reforms meant to promote transparency, good government and spending restraint.

Lawmakers would have the final say on their colleagues under the change.

“Less health care and it will cost more, “Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Politico”. Its staff reports to an independent board.They act something like a grand jury: If they find a case has merit, they refer it to the House Ethics Committee, which can punish the House member.

But Trump, and outside groups blasted the move. Some Republicans are spinning that the issue is too inside-baseball to gain traction, but they forget that the American people still loathe the institution of Congress with the fire of a million suns.

You know it’s going to be a long war when the first shot you fire hits you in the foot. “That’s why the independent Office of Congressional Ethics has been so important”. The author, Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, then dishonestly tweeted that the amendment “does nothing to impede OCE’s work”. “Speaker Ryan is giving a green light to congressional corruption”.

Politico termed the OCE as “the most sweeping congressional ethics reform of the last decade”. Numerous people who wind up taking the bit and running are soulless empty suits, in it for the power and the payoffs during and after tenure.

After being targeted by Trump’s tweets, members of the House Republican Conference backed down, cowering under the order of a president-elect.