The Republican-led US Congress began its first session of the Donald Trump era in turmoil as the House of Representatives backed away from a decision to defang an ethics watchdog after a public outcry, including a dressing-down from the President-elect.

Key points: Republicans take control of both houses

Republicans take control of both houses Controversial move to dump ethics watchdog cancelled after Mr Trump's tweets

Controversial move to dump ethics watchdog cancelled after Mr Trump's tweets Resolution introduced to repeal Obamacare

With Mr Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republicans will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 2007, and they were set to begin laying plans for enacting his agenda of cutting taxes and rolling back financial and environmental regulations.

But the moment was overshadowed by a surprise move by Republicans in the House of Representatives in a closed-door meeting late on Monday to weaken the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which is in charge of investigating ethics accusations against elected representatives.

Mr Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to "drain the swamp" and bring ethics reforms to Washington, was not pleased, tweeting that tax reform and healthcare should be prioritised over weakening the watchdog.

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The ethics office was created in 2008 following several corruption scandals but some politicians have said in recent years that it has been too quick to investigate complaints lodged by outside partisan groups.

The Republicans wanted to have greater control of the watchdog, and inserted changes into a broader rules package, set to pass when the House convenes.

Even before Mr Trump's tweet, many House Republicans, including top leaders, opposed the measure and worried about its ramifications.

Mr Trump's tweet prompted an emergency meeting and a quick change of course by Republicans.

"It was taken out by unanimous consent," said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was re-elected to the role during the sitting.

Mr Ryan will serve his first full term as Speaker after succeeding John Boehner in October 2015.

He said his message to the American people is that "we hear you, we will do right by you and we will deliver".

"You can feel the winds of change," he said.

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats will seek common ground with Republicans when they can on issues such as investing in the nation's infrastructure and making sure taxes and foreign trade are fair to workers.

Obamacare repeal process begins

Since his election on November 8, Mr Trump has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during his campaign.

Turmoil not a good look for GOP Any time a politician makes a decision out of blatant self-interest there is bound to be backlash. That is exactly what happened after a secretive, late-night meeting in which a majority of House Republicans made the call to gut the independent ethics body that oversees their conduct. Constituents, Democrats, and civil society all vented fury. But the critic the media was most interested in was President-elect Donald Trump. Ultimately, Republicans backflipped on their decision. After their early morning reversal, the GOP rank-and-file scurried through the dark, underground tunnels that connect Capitol Hill as reporters threw questions at them: "Did the Trump tweets play a role in your decision?" they asked. Some said no, some said maybe. Several said the party had underestimated the bad press and public backlash that followed the decision. Regardless of whether Mr Trump's tweets were responsible for the reversal the whole episode wasn't a good look for a party that now controls both houses of Congress (and in a couple of weeks the White House). Remember — division within the Republican Party nearly tore the GOP apart during the election campaign. It's especially troublesome when it pits the establishment elite against an incoming President who is trying to "drain the swamp". How he will change decades of political entrenchment is yet to be seen, nevertheless when Mr Trump dipped his toe into the muddy waters of the Capitol today he created a ripple. It will take a lot more than few tweets to empty it. - North America correspondent Stephanie March in Washington

These include simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Mr Obama's signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Leading Democrats warned of a fierce battle over Obamacare and said they planned to mobilise grassroots support for it.

Republican Senator Mike Enzi introduced a resolution to repeal the program — officially called the 2010 Affordable Care Act — after years of GOP opposition to the act.

The Republicans are using a budget resolution to provide the repeal, allowing them to act without any Democratic votes.

Budget resolutions require a simple majority to pass in the Senate, instead of the 60 votes normally required to clear procedural hurdles.

There are 52 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber.

A Senate vote on the resolution could come next week, with action in the House of Representatives expected to follow.

"These instructions to committees are provided to facilitate immediate action on repeal, with the intent of sending legislation to the new president's desk as soon as possible," a statement from Mr Enzi's office said.

Mr Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

Republican politicians also want to curtail regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Reuters/AP