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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DuckTapeSunroof who wrote (756166)	12/14/2006 7:49:54 PM
From: pompsander	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

House leader proposes ethics task force By Donna Smith Thu Dec 14, 3:33 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The incoming Democratic leader of the scandal-rocked House of Representative said on Thursday said she would seek a plan for an outside group to help clean up the way the legislative body does business. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) of California, set to become the next House speaker when Democrats take over in January, said she would create a special bipartisan task force to "make a proposal for how we have outside enforcement of a high ethical standard in the Congress." She said the panel would be asked to report its recommendations in March. Pelosi and other Democrats accused Republicans of a "culture of corruption" in their successful campaign to recapture control of Congress in the November 7 elections. Some reform-minded lawmakers have proposed the creation of an independent body to oversee congressional behavior arguing that lawmakers were unable to police themselves. But any proposal of outside oversight was sure to be opposed by some members of Congress, who traditionally do not like outsiders getting involved in running the legislature. Pelosi also proposed creating a new intelligence oversight panel within the House Appropriations Committee. The proposal will help fulfill Democratic campaign pledges to enact all the recommendations made by the September 11 Commission and help strengthen congressional oversight of intelligence, she said. House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio said in a statement that the soon-to-be minority party would consider the proposal. Four members of the outgoing Congress stepped down because of scandal, prompting both chambers to pass ethics bills widely described as inadequate by watchdog groups. Neither bill became law because the two chambers were unable to resolve differences. Last week a House ethics panel reported top Republicans were negligent in failing to protect teen-age interns from former Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record), who resigned in an Internet sex scandal shortly before the elections. The bipartisan panel recommended no punishment since it found no violation of House rules. Pelosi announced plans for the ethics task force as she discussed the agenda the new Democratic-led Congress will tackle after January 4. Pelosi said in the first 100 hours of legislative business the House would vote for a minimum wage hike; proposals to take back various federal breaks, including one on royalty payments for big oil companies; a beefing up of port security; lower student loan costs, and allowing the Medicare health program for the elderly to negotiate lower drug prices.