Dems Ready Proposal on Code of Conduct

[Judi Lynn]

Dems Ready Proposal on Code of Conduct
By DAVID ESPO , 01.14.2006, 08:23 PM

Democrats intend to unveil a sweeping plan this week to tighten Congress' code of conduct, officials said Saturday night, including a ban on lobbyists' gifts to lawmakers and a crackdown on special interest provisions slipped into legislation in the final moments before passage.

Eager to claim the mantle of reform in the wake of an election-year corruption scandal, Democrats also will propose doubling the current one-year cooling off period that former lawmakers or senior aides must observe before they are allowed to lobby without restriction.

The ban on lobbyist gifts would include meals and tickets to sporting or entertainment events as well as travel, according to officials familiar with the proposals.

The party's top leaders in Congress, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, are scheduled to announce the Democratic proposals on Wednesday.
(snip/...)

http://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/feeds/ap/2006/01/14/ap2450333.html

[punpirate]

1. That's a start...

... but that's all it is. Two-year abstinence period for lobbying? The right wing will plunk their favorites down in think tanks to draw a salary until their time's up. Make it ten or fifteen years and the problem's pretty much solved.

Ban meals and tickets and travel. Good. Ban campaign contributions from lobbyists and their clients. Much better. If they don't take the incentive out of high-dollar lobbying, it will persist.

End last-minute changes to legislation? Why not stop voting for bad bills on the basis of "that's the best we could get?" (I had a senator tell me that about the energy bill.)

[Moderator]

2. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2042224