New Congress Must Maintain Office of Congressional Ethics

Common Cause joins nine of its organizational colleagues today in calling on House Speaker-designee John Boehner and House Majority Leader-designee Eric Cantor to pledge support for continuing the Office of Congressional Ethics and to oppose efforts to weaken or undermine that office during the next session of Congress. Common Cause also urges House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who provided the leadership in the last Congress to establish the Office of Congressional Ethics, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to continue their support for the office.

"In a political environment, where relationships are key, it is extremely difficult - if not impossible - for members of Congress to sit in judgement of each other," said Common Cause President Bob Edgar, a former member of Congress. "While the ethics committee still has the last word on ethics enforcement in the House, the Office of Congressional Ethics serves as a much-needed, independent, non-partisan cop on the beat. Since it was created two years ago, the OCE has successfully and professionally done its job and has pressured the notoriously inactive House Ethics Committee to be more active."