Revolving door of employment between Congress, lobbying firms, study shows

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

Nearly 5,400 former congressional staffers have left Capitol Hill to become federal lobbyists in the past 10 years, according to a new study that documents the extent of the revolving door between Congress and K Street.

The data published by the online disclosure site LegiStorm found close to 400 former U.S. lawmakers also have made the jump to lobbying.

The report, which tallies a greater number of workers moving between Congress and lobbying than found in previous studies, underscores the symbiotic relationship: Thousands of lobbyists are able to exploit experience and connections gleaned from working inside the legislative process, and lawmakers find in lobbyists a ready pool of experienced talent.

Of the 5,400 lobbyists with recent Hill experience, the study found that 2,900 were registered to lobby on behalf of clients this year. Twenty-five powerhouse firms and organizations employ 10 or more former Hill workers. The largest number are at the Podesta Group, followed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which employs at least 21.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/study-shows-revolving-door-of-employment-between-congress-lobbying-firms/2011/09/12/gIQAxPYROK_story.html

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Some examples (not named in the article):
- Rep./Sen. John Breaux (DLC-LA) became a health care lobbyist
- Rep. Billy Tauzin (D before 1995 and now R also of Louisiana) was the CEO of the pharma lobby group PHRMA, 2005-2010. (What is it with Louisiana and the health care/medical industry?)

I've also read about this practice in David Sirota's book .

See also this report by the Center for Responsive Politics.

[midnight]

1. It's how the game is played....

[No Elephants]

2. Once upon a time, it was Republicans who were known for playing the game that way.

Point is, should it be the way the game is played? And, if not, what, if anything, can we do to change things?

[cstanleytech]

5. I agree, none of them should be doing it but other than threatening not to vote

for them our hands are pretty much tied unless something like say a constitutional amendment were to be passed banning the practice and even then i am sure they would find a way to weasel around it.

[Skittles]

3. paid whores

[WCGreen]

4. There should be a law that prohibits a person working for the congress

from lobbying for at least 5 years after they stop working for congress.

No congressperson or cabinet official or person who works for the president should be able to work for lobbying firms for at least 5 years.

No Pentagon official should be able to work for defense department contractors for at least five years after they leave the service.

This is the source of most of our graft and corruption. This revolving door between government service and private sector service has got to stop....

[Cool Logic]

6. Why do you think U.S. tax code is 71,684 pages in length?

Answer: So that they can have more of these § and these ¶.

If you are rich and powerful, you get to write the tax code and K-Street will ensure that one of those little thingys above, that was written by you and for the benefit of you, is on one of those 74,624 pages.

Why do you think 1% of the population controls 38% of the wealth?

Answer: Because our fedgov Representatives let them have it...and by default, they too, become part of the 1%.

Now, do you really think the boys and girls in D & R of DC Group are going to let anyone mess around with their gravy train?

[Amonester]

7. One day or another, they will have to 'remember' the fact that...

There.Are.More.Of.Us.Than.There.Are.Of.Them.

Until then, they should be advised to review History.

My.Two.Cents.