Democrats Claim a Better Idea on Controlling Lobbying

[papau]

"Jack Abramoff is a Republican scandal and a Republican crisis."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/19/politics/19cong.html

Democrats Claim a Better Idea on Controlling Lobbying

By CARL HULSE
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 - Congressional Democrats proposed a lobbying overhaul on Wednesday that they said far exceeded new Republican proposals in curbing the influence of moneyed special interests on Capitol Hill.
"Today we as Democrats are declaring our commitment to change, change to a government as good and as honest as the people that we serve," said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader.
Surrounded by dozens of House and Senate colleagues in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, Mr. Reid and fellow Democratic leaders blamed close ties between lobbyists and majority Republicans for health care, energy and other legislation that they called too friendly to industry at the expense of the public.
"The Republicans have turned Congress into an auction house, for sale to the highest bidder," said Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader. "You have to pay to play. That's just not right." <snip>



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/18/AR2006011801760_pf.html

Democrats Unveil Lobbying Curbs
As Party Escalates Reform Push, GOP Calls Scandal Bipartisan

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 19, 2006; A01
Congressional Democrats yesterday laid out a plan to change what they called a GOP "culture of corruption" in Washington, even as Republicans pointed to ethics lapses on their antagonists' side of the aisle.
Democratic leaders from the House and Senate endorsed proposals that closely mirror Republican plans unveiled this week to tighten regulations on lobbyists since the Jack Abramoff political corruption scandal broke. But in a sign that an ethical "arms race" may be developing, the Democratic plans go further than the Republicans' proposals.
Rather than limiting the value of a gift to $20, as House Republicans are considering, Democrats would prohibit all gifts from lobbyists. Democrats also take direct aim at some of the legislative practices that have become established in the past 10 years of Republican rule in Congress. They vowed to end the K Street Project, under which Republicans in Congress pressure lobbying organizations to hire only Republican staff members and contribute only to Republican candidates.
Lawmakers would have to publicly disclose negotiations over private-sector jobs, a proposal inspired by then-House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman W.J. "Billy" Tauzin's job talks in 2003 that led to his hiring as president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in January 2005. Executive branch officials who are negotiating private-sector jobs would need approval from the independent Office of Governmental Ethics.
Under the Democrats' plan, House and Senate negotiators working out final versions of legislation would have to meet in open session, with all members of the conference committee -- not just Republicans -- having the opportunity to vote on amendments. Legislation would have to be posted publicly 24 hours before congressional consideration. Democrats also proposed to crack down on no-bid contracting and to require that any person appointed to a position involving public safety "possess proven credentials."<snip>

loopholes in the lobby reform plans of both parties: exceptions for campaign fundraising, trips on private planes, and a strong means of enforcement. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0601190077jan19,1,4935844.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Democrats put their ethics reform package on the table

By Mike Dorning and Jeff Zeleny

WASHINGTON -- An election-year furor over corrupt lobbying is raising prospects for new laws that would target some of the worst abuses but still leave open plenty of loopholes for lobbyists and other moneyed interests to influence lawmakers.

Democrats on Wednesday joined the debate on how to respond to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal by unveiling a package of reform proposals, including a ban on gifts from lobbyists and on privately paid travel for members of Congress along with requirements for greater disclosure of fees lobbyists receive from clients. Republicans had offered their reform package a day earlier
Extravagant foreign trips and meals have been prominent in the uproar over lobbyist Abramoff's confession in a plea agreement to a bribery scheme involving favors for lawmakers and their staffs. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who relinquished his position in the ensuing outcry, received a golf trip to Scotland financed by Abramoff through a private foundation.

But reform advocates said both parties' ethics packages left considerable room for lobbyists and wealthy favor-seekers to skirt the bans. For example, the proposed bans on privately paid travel would not cover campaign fundraising, so lobbyists still could finance entertainment and trips for members of Congress as long as they were classified as fundraisers.

Reform groups also cautioned that congressional ethics committees have been lax in enforcing rules on gift-giving and disclosure of travel arrangements. Scores of congressional offices failed for years to file even the bare-bones disclosure statements required for privately paid travel until the issue gained attention last summer. The House ethics committee has been paralyzed by partisan deadlock for several years.<snip>