The U.S. House of Representatives should be a place of honor and integrity. House Democrats recognize this, and realize the moral and ethical responsibility they have as representatives of the American people are a necessary part of this country’s democracy.

The Ethics Committee is unique among other House committees. No matter what party is in the majority, the committee is completely bipartisan, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans serving. This helps ensure that partisan politics do not get in the way of critical investigations and decisions. The rules of the Ethics Committee stress bipartisanship and try to reduce bias. But now, the integrity of the House ethics process is threatened.

In 2004, the House Republican Leader was admonished three times by the Ethics Committee: once for offering political support in return for a vote on the prescription drug bill, once for abuse of federal resources, and once for conflict of interest. In response, when the 109th Congress met for the first time in January of 2005, the first order of business for Republicans was to eviscerate the rules of the Ethics Committee, which are the cornerstone of the committee’s integrity and strength. Even further, Republican Members of the committee who were willing to look objectively at the actions of the Majority Leader were replaced. Even the Committee’s Republican chairman was dismissed.

But after an overwhelming outcry of protest by House Democrats and the American people, the Republican leadership flip-flopped and agreed to go back to the bipartisan ethics rules that were adopted in 1997. This is a great day for the American people.  Across the country, they have spoken out, and editorial boards have reflected their views throughout our nation that not any one of us is above the law.  Unfortunately, the new Committee Chairman has suggested staff changes that would call into question the non-partisanship nature of the committee's professional staff.

The ethics process must be blind to political parties, and must apply to all Members, even those in leadership roles. House Democrats will work to ensure that the non-partisan staff called for by the rules is maintained in an effort to return Congress to the highest ethical standard, not the lowest. Without a meaningful and legitimate ethics process the American people's faith and trust in the integrity of Congress will not be restored.

More on the Assault on Ethics

Congress Has Voted More Than 50 Times to Override State Laws

Clean House Task Force to Bring Ethics Back to Congress

‘Clean House Team’ to Address Republican Culture of Corruption

Democrats Seek Lobbying Reform

Read a Recent Release by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

Read a Recent Letter by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

Read a Recent Speech by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

Read a Recent Release by House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer

Read a Recent Washington Post Editorial by Rep. Alan Mollohan, Ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee; and Republican Rep. Joel Hefley, former chair of the House Ethics Committee

Read a Recent Speech by Rep. Louise Slaughter, Ranking Democrat on the House Rules Committee