Bill To Ban Members Of Congress From Becoming Lobbyists Wins Cosponsor In Senate

[Project Grudge]

Source: The Huffington Post

A long-shot proposal to ban former members of Congress from K Street for life won a cosponsor on Monday in Montana Democrat Sen. Jon Tester.

"From an ethics standpoint it's the right thing to do," said Tester in an interview with HuffPost. "From a transparency standpoint it's the right thing to do."

The bill, authored by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Col.), would prohibit any member of the House or Senate from taking a job with a lobbying firm after retiring.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/04/bill-to-ban-members-of-co_n_561269.html

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This bill is a win for the people and it's also a win politically going into the elections. I really wish we'd call Capitol Hill and lobby heavily for this bill to pass. It's not very often you get a bill like this that would really force Congress to work in the best interest of the people.

After they retire, they have more than enough benefits and pensions to live out their life comfortably. The bill doesn't ban work in the private sector either, but would codify a more representative government.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. K & R.., Not gonna happen but still. nt

[aquart]

2. I love it.

[fascisthunter]

3. wanna see how corrupt Congress is?

Watch where this Bill goes...

[truedelphi]

19. On the other hand, if it does not stop a Congress person's spouse from becoming a lobbyist,

It could go far and become law. They never mind passing bills where the loopholes allow for shenanighans, while the "PR spin" offers them a chance to appeal to their constituents.

[No Elephants]

24. I would take it as a first step. Hell, I'd take almost anything at this point.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R!

[proudohioan]

5. K&R!!! This would be a huge step in the right direction, IMO. n/t

[Soylent Brice]

6. one of the best stories all day.

K&R

[cascadiance]

7. I think this is precisely what's needed now to help us start "cleaning up" the bad guys...

Kind of like what happened when we even had a less comprehensive "ban" on lobbyists, but added a time window before they could join lobbyists groups in the House. Remember what happened then? We had a whole bunch of the real jerks that were into the revolving door business like Dennis Hastert, leave early so that they wouldn't get "caught" in the web of this bill later, and joined their lobbyist groups earlier. We were able to replace them with better people and got newer reps like Donna Edwards, etc. in special elections that may have not necessarily changed the party mix, but definitely got the corrupt jerks out of congress that needed to go.

If a newer bill is passed that is even more draconian to keep them from doing the same, and if we can pass it shortly before primary season, just imagine how many of the bad guys would "pull out" before this election too, so that we could have real dedicated candidates running instead, and perhaps even if we have smaller majorities come the beginning of 2011, we'd have "better" majorities, and we can start perhaps working on things like public campaign financing and a constitutional ammendment getting rid of corporate personhood, that might be impossible if the bad elements were still here.

Really hope this bill passes soon. We need to give it wide exposure that it is going through congress. It will put a lot of pressure on congress people to pass it, since I think we can have bipartisan support for this amongst the citizenship as even the tea baggers I think will want this if they aren't too brainwashed by the corporate media to do otherwise.

[Roland99]

8. Lovin' it!

Now if Bennet would just push the Senate version of H.R. 5017 up for a vote, I'd be a happy camper (trying to buy a house)

[florida08]

9. nice

:dem: extend that to lobbyists can't become congressmen and we might have something

[Jefferson23]

10. Applause to Bennet and Tester, K&R

:applause: :fistbump:

[defendandprotect]

11. r-

[nykym]

12. I would like to see

a clause in the bill making it retroactive for say the past year to snuff out the chance of any rats fleeing the sinking ship. And maybe another requiring any member of Congress that goes into the private political sector give up all his Congressional benefits as well.

[cascadiance]

14. First and foremost though I want the bad apples to LEAVE even if "off year"...

If we can get them to leave off year, perhaps that's another way to help focus on getting decent candidates running to replace them.

If we make it so they are already "screwed", then they won't have any incentive towards getting out soon, and by getting them out earlier, perhaps we can get some decent legislation passed earlier too!

Obviously some laws need to be passed as well so that even if they do leave quickly, that we can minimize the damage that they can do. But for someone like Chris Dodd, who seems to be just "riding it out" now before he gets a job with the banksters when he retires, it would be better to give him incentive to leave office now, if we can get someone in to replace him in the short term that will not try to do things like have a consumer protection agency being run out of the Fed.

[cstanleytech]

13. I dont think it will be allowed to stand, however they could

pass an ethics rule that no current government employee nor anyone elected into a federal office is to discuss government business at any time either directly or indirectly with a former government employee/elected official who has become a lobbyist.
That would kinda put a spike through those people becoming lobbyists and then trying to use their contacts within the government.

[Zorra]

15. Sensible and ethical. Great idea. n/t

[brendan120678]

16. How is this even legal?

Forbidding a private citizen from being employed by a private employer?

No way would I support such a law. I don't care what the intent is behind it.

[Project Grudge]

21. Public Service

There's a reason it's called Public Service, you are sacrificing certain things (time and money opportunity costs here) to serve the public good. You are not in the Public Reward, there's a sense of debt in service. This is simply one of those sacrifices they must make so we know who really Cares.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

25. Running for public office is not mandatory.

[karynnj]

27. They already have a law that forbids it for a period of time

I think one year. If they can forbid it for one year, why not 10 years. (10 years would likely be as good as life. If it would have been 10, Daschle would still be prevented until early 2015. If that seems to early - how about 25.)

[DebbieCDC]

17. K&R but it has not a snowball's chance

[Massacure]

18. In other news, Obama has announced his means of enforcing this legislation

Predator Drones...

:rofl:

[classysassy]

20. They are honorable ladies and gentlemen

do you think they would do anything dishonest?

[vssmith]

22. I would also prevent members of their immediate family from being lobbyists

There have been a number of Senators whose spouses are lobbyists while they are serving as Senator. That seems obscene to me.

[melm00se]

23. would the law pass Constitutional muster?

Saying where you cannot work seems highly/overly restrictive and just begs for the Courts to step in.

This is akin to "non-compete" clauses that have been found unenforceable for being too broad (11th US Circuit Court Keener v. Convergys Corp).

[w4rma]

26. Very good. (nt)

[paparush]

28. Former Congress Kritter- "I'm not a lobbyist...I'm a paid consultant!" Insert shit-eating grin here.

[Steerpike]

29. I suppose it could pass...

It's possible but not probable...too much money