House Republicans voted in a private meeting on Monday to strip the powers of the Office of Congressional Ethics.

But by Tuesday, facing a firestorm of criticism from Democrats and the public, as well as a pointed question from President-Elect Donald J. Trump, they moved to reverse that plan.

What happened?

On Monday evening, with little warning, Republicans announced that they had voted to strip the office of its independence. The vote took place in a House conference, a private meeting of Republicans.

The office was set up in 2008, after several members of Congress were convicted of crimes and sent to jail. It can conduct investigations of House members and employees who have been accused of violating laws, rules or congressional norms.