SENATE PANEL VOTES DOWN INDEPENDENT ETHICS OFFICE

The vote was 11-5, with some Democrats joining Republicans in voting the proposal down.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted 11-5 to defeat a proposal by its chairman, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and its ranking Democrat, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., that would have created an Office of Public Integrity to toughen enforcement and combat the loss of reputation that Congress suffered after the guilty plea in January of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Democrats joined Republicans in killing the proposal.

The vote was described by government watchdog groups and several legislators as the latest example of Congress' waning interest in stringent lobby reform.

Tags: independent ethics office, Senate panel votes