US House of Representatives: Ethics Enforcement & Discipline

The United States Constitution provides each House of Congress with the sole authority to establish rules, judge membership requirements, and punish and expel Members. From 1789 to 1967, the House of Representatives dealt with disciplinary action against Members on a case-by-case basis, often forming ad-hoc committees to investigate and make recommendations when acts of wrongdoing were brought to the chamber’s attention. Events of the 1960’s, including the investigation of Representative Adam Clayton Powell for alleged misuse of Education and Labor Committee funds, prompted the creation of a permanent ethics committee and the writing of the Code of Conduct for Members, officers, and staff of the House. This book outlines the background of ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives, including the creation of both the Select Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Ethics. The book also focuses on various jurisdictional and procedural changes that the committee has experienced since 1967 and discusses the committee’s current jurisdiction and procedures.