How A Diss During A Hearing Led To A Breakthrough Bipartisan Ethics Bill

WASHINGTON — During a hearing in March, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) told House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) that his impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden had been a bust.

“The American people, regardless of party, should know that an investigation was conducted into whether Joe Biden did anything wrong,” Porter said. “We followed the evidence to where it led: a dead end. So this impeachment inquiry should end today.”

It wasn’t a particularly new sentiment. Many Democrats had already declared the impeachment inquiry over. But Porter’s remarks took a turn: She said the committee should work in a bipartisan manner to crack down on influence peddling by politicians — and Comer responded.

“Ms. Porter, I think you are sincere, and I look forward to working with you on that legislation,” Comer said.

Neither lawmaker said another word about it — until last week, when they unveiled the Presidential Ethics Reform Act, a bill that, among other things, would require presidents and vice presidents to disclose payments and gifts from foreign sources made within two years of entering or exiting public office.

Ethics rules already require the president and vice president to put out annual statements detailing their income, assets and liabilities; the new bill would expand the requirements to family members, and it would cover loans like the ones Joe Biden extended to his brother and son — a major talking point in Republicans’ impeachment inquiry.

“So we’re talking about siblings, parents, sister and brother-in-laws,” Porter said on CNN. “We’ve seen more presidents involve their adult children, involve their family, and we think that’s likely to continue in the future.”

Former president Donald Trump