Today, Speaker Pelosi followed
through on her pledge to appoint a congressional task force on ethics
enforcement. We appreciate and applaud her ongoing
commitment to ensuring that Congress effectively addresses the loose rules and
lax enforcement that led to last year’s scandals – the worst in a decade.
Public skepticism regarding the integrity of Congress remains extremely high
because people understand that the new rules are only as good as the will to
enforce them.
Regardless of the individual members, the House ethics
committee process is plagued with partisan gridlock and conflicts of interest.
Task force members need only look at state commissions to find numerous
examples of independent and professional enforcement. The roadmap for
independent enforcement has already been laid out by the states. Task force
members should follow it. We look forward to working with the task force to
develop a proposal that will begin to restore the confidence of the American
people.
