Pappas Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Ethical Standards in Congress
Pappas’s legislation would permanently codify the Office of Congressional Ethics, protect the board from partisan attacks
Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) introduced bipartisan legislation to codify the Office of Congressional Ethics, now called the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), the only independent internal watchdog that probes ethical breaches in Congress.
Currently Congress must re-establish the OCC every two years. In 2023 and 2025, House Republicans voted to weaken OCC and bog down investigations with unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. Pappas’s Clean Legislating and Ethical Accountability Now (CLEAN) Act would permanently authorize the OCC so that this watchdog can conduct the oversight Americans deserve, no matter who controls Congress.
“Members of Congress and their offices must be accountable to the people, and recent events have made the need for independent and nonpartisan guardrails and oversight on ethical standards even more clear,” said Congressman Pappas. “The Office of Congressional Conduct serves as a critical body to investigate alleged misconduct, but by requiring the Office to be reauthorized and reappointed every two years, the current system creates unnecessary delays, lapses, and potential for obstruction in the office’s essential work. It’s time to make the office permanent and ensure its work can continue unimpeded in each Congress.”
Last spring, Pappas led a group of his colleagues in calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to make his appointments to the OCC's bipartisan board. At the time, the work of the OCC was stalled due to Johnson’s delayed appointment of Republican members, despite at least two former GOP members of the board agreeing to return, something Pappas called out as a “pattern of obstruction,” noting changes in the 119th Congress’s rules package “made it even harder for the OCC to function by requiring the board to be fully seated before staff could be reappointed.” The CLEAN Act would prevent delays like this from occurring in the future.
The CLEAN Act is supported by the Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Democracy 21, and the End Citizens United/Let American Vote Action Fund.
“The CLEAN Act sends a powerful message that nonpartisan ethics enforcement is a priority that should not depend on the whims of a shifting majority party,” said Kedric Payne, Vice President, General Counsel, and Senior Director for Ethics at Campaign Legal Center. “As the only independent ethics body in Congress, the Office of Congressional Conduct provides voters with clear and credible information about alleged misconduct of House members. But this critical office essentially operates under a two-year sunset provision, leaving it vulnerable to repeated efforts to eliminate it. By making the OCC permanent, this bill helps to restore public confidence that accountability is not something lawmakers fear, but uphold.”
“The Office of Congressional Conduct has been a force for good in our government, serving as an independent, nonpartisan check on misconduct,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “As politicians engage in more corruption and push the boundaries on what they can get away with, the OCC’s work is more important than ever. It remains one of the only truly independent mechanisms we have to investigate violations and hold members accountable. The CLEAN Act is essential to protecting that independence and ensuring the OCC can continue its work regardless of who is in power. We thank Congressman Pappas for his ongoing commitment to strengthening accountability and the rule of law in Congress.”