WASHINGTON -- April 28 -- The House vote last night to roll back damaging changes to the ethics rules is a first step toward restoring accountability in that chamber.

"It appears Congress has realized the errors of its ways," said Common Cause President Chellie Pingree. "But we're still a long ways from having the kind of ethical standards in the House that many average Americans must comply with everyday."

This was a textbook example of how grassroots citizens lobby is supposed to work. During the last few months Common Cause supporters:

Flooded the Capitol Hill with thousands of phone calls and emails, lobbying members of the Ethics Committee and the GOP leadership to reverse the rules changes.
Helped us gather more than 60,000 petition signatures asking Rep. Tom DeLay to step down as majority leader.
Organized house parties all over the country and engaged their friends and community regarding the House ethics crisis.
Organized in-district meetings in key districts to show support for reversing the rules changes and holding DeLay and other members accountable.

We thank you for your commitment and perseverance, but we still have lots of work to do on this matter. Rescinding the ethics rules changes made in January still leaves the House with only a minimally functional Ethics Committee.

Common Cause believes the House needs a bipartisan task force that includes outside experts to review the ethics process. The task force should consider the following reforms:

• Presumption of outside counsel in all cases and automatic appointment of outside counsel in cases involving leadership and committee chairs.
  
• Allow outside groups to file ethics complaints.
  
• Review and strengthen gift rules
  
• Committee work should be done in the open
  
• Issue sanctions that are commensurate with violations and publicly credible.
  
• Provide proactive ethics education for members and staff.
  
• Allow outside experts to periodically review the Ethics Committee's work.
  
• We hope you will stay with us and get everyone else to join in our efforts to hold power accountable.
  

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