Overhauling Ethics Oversight (Rep. Baron Hill)

I heard frequently during the campaign about the need for an overhaul of the internal process of investigating Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for ethics violations.  That is why I have introduced H.R. 1754, the House Ethics Commission Establishment Act of 2007.

The House Ethics Commission Establishment Act would create an independent Ethics Commission comprised of 12 former Members of Congress who are not lobbyists – six Republicans chosen by the House Democratic leader and six Democrats chosen by the House Republican leader.  This Commission would have the authority to investigate complaints of possible ethics violations by Members of Congress.  The Commission would then present their findings to Congress, and the entire U.S. House of Representatives would vote on the course of disciplinary action recommended by the Commission.  Any disciplinary actions suggested by the Ethics Commission must receive a majority vote by the full membership of the U.S. House in order to take effect.

People have lost faith in Congress because of the incidents of ethics violations by Members of Congress over the past few years.  We must clean up Congress and prove to the American people that we are serious about enforcing the highest standards of conduct.