Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Praising House Speaker-designee John Boehner for Continuing Office of Congressional Ethics Intact in Next Congress

Democracy 21 praises House Speaker-designee John Boehner for proposing House rules that will continue the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) intact in the next Congress

The OCE, created in 2007, represents the most important improvement in ethics enforcement in the House since the House Ethics Committee was created in 1966.

According to published reports, the OCE will operate under the same mandate and without any changes in the next Congress and will function without any budget cuts.

This is the approach reform groups have been supporting and it should allow the OCE to function independently and effectively in the next Congress as it has been able to do in this Congress.

I congratulate Speaker-designee Boehner for his decision to continue the OCE without any weakening changes in the face of the grumbling from some House members of both parties about the OCE during this Congress.

It is essential to stay vigilant about maintaining strong and effective House ethics rules and the proper interpretation and enforcement of these rules. Democracy 21 and other reform groups plan to continue to do precisely that in the next Congress.