Amend code on conflicts

It is incumbent upon everyone, conservative or liberal, to require action on the part of our congresswoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, to support an amendment to the following.

The law at issue is Title 18 Section 208 of the U.S. Code. It says federal executive branch employees cannot participate in government matters in which they are, or their immediate families, have a financial interest.

Because of this law, some federal employees put their investments in a blind trust. This allows them to sidestep the regulation and participate in a matter that might otherwise pose a conflict of interest. But the president and the vice president are exempt. According to the law’s definitions, Title 18 Section 208 does not apply to them. Congress has the constitutional power to amend the law to cover the president.

On Jan. 20, Trump will have the use of the federal government for his own personal gain. Given Trump’s own words and actions during his campaign, I have no doubt he will exploit every means possible to add to his personal assets (and not always in the interest of American taxpayers). To think otherwise is sophomoric.

Joan Berkowitz

Greenacres