“A lot of people want to see us drain the swamp. They want to see fundamental ethics reform. That’s going to happen starting Jan. 20,” Mike Pence said. | Getty Ethics reform bill a Trump priority, Pence says

Overhauling the government’s ethics laws will be a top priority for President-elect Donald Trump in Congress next year, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Sunday.

Speaking on "Face the Nation" on CBS, Pence declined to affirm that lobbyists will not serve in Trump’s administration. Trump, who campaigned on the notion that he would "drain the swamp" in Washington, drew fire last week for initially including lobbyists on his transition team.


“I can tell your viewers that the president-elect is determined to move ethics reform in the next year in the Congress,” Pence said. “A lot of people want to see us drain the swamp. They want to see fundamental ethics reform. That’s going to happen starting Jan. 20.”

Pence also reiterated Trump’s commitment to dismantling the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Trump and Republican leaders in Congress have agreed “repealing Obamacare will be the first priority in a session that will be characterized by tax reform, rebuilding the military, infrastructure and ending illegal immigration,” Pence said.