Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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115th Congress Convenes Today, Are Priorities in Order?
By Neil A. Carousso
This post has been updated for breaking news.
The 115th United States Congress convened today in the nation’s capital. Are lawmakers’ priorities in order? President-elect Donald J. Trump doesn’t think so.
Shortly after new members of Congress were sworn into office, House Republicans reversed course on weakening the independent ethics watchdog following pressure applied by Trump via Twitter.
Mr. Trump tweeted earlier about the importance of Congress using its time wisely.
With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
……..may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
“With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority. [sic],” Mr. Trump tweeted in the 10 AM ET hour, continuing, “Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS““DTS” is an acronym of his campaign promise to “drain the swamp,” meaning to rid Washington, D.C. of corruption, private dealing and optics that benefit the elitists at the expense of regular, hard-working Americans.
Just after new Congress members were sworn in on Capitol Hill, though, House Republicans, in an emergency meeting in the Capitol basement, scrapped plans to gut the OCE. Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) confirmed that President-elect Trump’s Tuesday morning tweets were a factor in the decision to scrap the controversial amendment.
BREAKING: Two Republican lawmakers say House GOP drops rules change gutting ethics office .
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) January 3, 2017
McCarthy asked Rs to pull the ethics change by unanimous consent. Told them GOP didn't have the votes to pass the rules package, per Dent
— Robert Costa (@costareports) January 3, 2017
News: Dent tells reporters that Trump factor was discussed by House leadership… told Rs that pres-elect was opposed to OCE change
— Robert Costa (@costareports) January 3, 2017
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (Courtesy: AP/J. Scott Applewhite) “Republicans claim they want to ‘drain the swamp,’ but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress.”
The Goodlatte Amendment would dictate that investigations be conducted by the same politicians who would come under scrutiny for ethical violations. In other words, the House would police itself.
Investigations under this proposed amendment would be required to be completed within a limited time frame. The office would be known as the Office of Congressional Complaint Review, replacing the Office of Congressional Ethics that was established in 2008, and would “be subject to the authority and direction of the Committee on Ethics,” a standing committee of the House of Representatives.
It would also prohibit the board of the news office from employing a spokesperson and openly discussing ethics investigations. Criminal violations will be sent to the Ethics Committee first.
The Trump Effect and the Power of his ‘Beautiful’ Twitter Account in an Effort to ‘Drain the Swamp’ and Put American Workers First:
President-elect Trump has proposed and promised “six measures to clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, D.C.” in his “Contract with the American Voter” with the goal of enacting “new ethics reforms to drain the swamp and reducethe corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.”Before the House GOP dropped the rule change to gut the ethics watchdog committee, Ford Motor Company canceled plans for a $1.6 billion new plant in Mexico, safeguarding approximately 3,500 American jobs. Ford will also create the new Manufacturing Innovation Center at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. Ford announces it will invest $700 million during the next four years, adding 700 U.S. jobs during Mr. Trump’s first term in office.
Employees at the expanded plant will build the “all-new small utility vehicle with extended battery range as well as the full autonomous vehicle for ride-hailing or ride-sharing – along with the iconic Mustang and Lincoln Continental.”
Instead of driving jobs and wealth away, AMERICA will become the world's great magnet for INNOVATION & JOB CREATION.https://t.co/siXrptsOrt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
The “Trump Effect” is on full display as the 115th Congress convenes for the first time, 17 days before Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America.
Featured Image: File photo courtesy of Reuters.
