Summary
The Republican-led U.S. Congress began its first session of the Donald Trump era in turmoil Tuesday, as the House of Representatives backed away from a decision to defang an ethics watchdog, after public outcry which included a dressing-down from the president-elect.
But the moment was overshadowed by a surprise move by Republicans in the House of Representatives in a closed-door meeting late Monday to weaken the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which is in charge of investigating ethics accusations against lawmakers.
Even before Trump's tweet, many House Republicans, including top leaders, opposed the measure and worried about its ramifications.
Trump's tweet prompted an emergency meeting and a quick change of course by Republicans.
Trump also is expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.
The first meeting of the 115th Congress was to be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.
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