The federal government’s ethics agency has rarely received much attention in Washington. That changed with the arrival of President Trump and an administration stocked with unusually wealthy appointees who have ties to industries they now help regulate. Suddenly, the usually sleepy Office of Government Ethics was clashing with the White House.

Walter M. Shaub Jr., the agency’s departing director, thinks those clashes have exposed weaknesses in ethics laws. Given that Republicans control both chambers of Congress, passing any of his proposals will be difficult, some more so than others. Here is what Mr. Shaub wants Congress to do.

The Easier Stuff

• Establish that the director of the Office of Government Ethics may only be fired by the president for cause and with 30 days’ notice to Congress.

• Clarify that the agency has authority to oversee ethics compliance in all divisions of the Executive Office of the President, including the right to collect information like job descriptions, ethics agreements and waivers that exempt certain employees from ethical standards.