WASHINGTON As one of their first actions in the new Congress, House Republicans are planning to significantly change the Office of Congressional Ethics, removing the entitys independence, barring it from investigating anonymous complaints and even changing the groups name.

Less than 24 hours before the House convenes and votes on its rules for the 115th Congress, Republicans adopted an amendment Monday night, 119 to 74, from Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) that would fundamentally change the OCE. The independent ethics board investigates complaints against members and issues reports to the Ethics Committee.

Specifically, the amendment would place the OCE under the oversight of the lenient Ethics Committee and rename it the Office of Congressional Complaint Review. The new group would no longer be able to release information to the public, employ anyone for a position involving communications with the public, or directly contact law enforcement without approval. It would also be prohibited from investigating anonymous complaints.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the change would functionally destroy the office.

Republicans claim they want to drain the swamp, but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions, Pelosi said. Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress.

Republicans themselves defended the changes as necessary adjustments to protect members from political witch hunts.

Now you cant make a false accusation, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) told The Huffington Post Monday night. Now you can answer back to the people that make accusations against you. This has been flawed from the very get-go.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) released a statement saying the OCE will still operate independently. It will continue to take complaints from the public, investigate them and decide whether to refer them to the House Ethics Committee.

He continued:

With the amendment adopted last night, the bipartisan, evenly-divided House Ethics Committee will now have oversight of the complaints office. But the Office is not controlled by the Committee, and I expect that oversight authority to be exercised solely to ensure the Office is properly following its rules and laws, just as any government entity should. I have made clear to the new Chair of the House Ethics Committee that it is not to interfere with the Offices investigations or prevent it from doing its job.

The vote took place in secret, by anonymous ballot and behind closed doors, so its not possible to know which representatives approved of the measure. But a number of Republicans take issue with OCE investigating anonymous tips and have been looking for a way to ensure that accusers of wrongdoing must attach their name to a complaint.

It needs to be aired in the public, Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) said.

Asked if that would deter people from making complaints, Rice agreed it was a double-edged sword, but said it was too easy to put forth baseless claims with no responsibility.