WASHINGTON — House Republicans reversed themselves Tuesday under pressure from President-elect Donald Trump and dropped plans to swiftly gut an independent congressional ethics board.
The about-face came as lawmakers convened for the first day of the 115th Congress, an occasion normally reserved for pomp and ceremony under the Capitol Dome. Instead, House Republicans found themselves under attack not only from Democrats but also from their new president over their secretive move Monday to immediately neuter the independent Office of Congressional Ethics and place it under lawmakers' control.
Within hours of Trump registering his criticism over the timing on Twitter, GOP leaders called an emergency meeting of House Republicans at which lawmakers voted to undo the change.
"With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority," Trump had asked over Twitter on Tuesday morning.
Check back for updates and read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.