by Nicholas Beaudrot of Electoral Math
One of the somewhat overlooked features of Pelosi’s new ethics package has been the call for an independent oversight panel that might actually take seriously the task of enforcing standards of conduct. For obvious constitutional reasons, having the FBI investigate Members is a non-starter, and might simply further politicize the FBI. The post-1998 “ethics truce” in the House effectively shut down the committee for three sessions, during which Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, and others all plied their trade.
Absent political losses that convince members to take ethics seriously, the only real way to enforce ethics standards, then, is a sort of “internal affairs” panel that handles investigations against Members’ offices. Now, that’s obviously not perfect; Congress can cut the cord any time. But the President can always veto the funding cuts, and there would hopefully be painful political consequences that would make such a move unlikely.
