"Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!" Donald Trump tweeted. | AP Photo Trump tweets disapproval of GOP move to gut congressional ethics office

President-elect Donald Trump expressed skepticism over a move by House Republicans to gut an independent congressional ethics arm, tweeting on Tuesday that the GOP has “so many other things of greater importance” to focus on.

“With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it … may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS,” Trump wrote on Twitter.


On Monday night, House Republicans passed an amendment to their rules that would gut the Office of Congressional Ethics by putting the independent body under control of lawmakers themselves and silence the ability of watchdogs to make public statements about their investigations.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during a later call with reporters that Trump was not questioning changes to the office, but rather whether such a step should be a priority for Congress.

"It's not a question of strengthening or weakening. I think it's a question of priorities," Spicer said, adding "and the president believes that with all that this country wants and needs to have happen, this really shouldn’t be the priority of them and that the level of corruption and issues they face that the focus should be on tax reform, health care, growing the economy and on job creation.”

