With all the talk lately about corrupt lobbyists’ relationships with lawmakers and a culture of arrogance in which public officials hand lobbyists their bills in restaurants, it’s encouraging to see Dems seize the opportunity and hold themselves out as leaders for reform.
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) plans to introduce a bill to overhaul lobbying laws, joining House Democratic Reps. Marty Meehan (Mass.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who already have introduced legislation in the House.
Feingold’s involvement, along with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), could give political momentum to legislation that leading House Republicans consider a political stunt.
Feingold told The Hill he is looking at Meehan’s bill and talking with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
“I am interested in prohibiting lobbyists from giving gifts to members and in requiring members and campaigns to reimburse the owners of corporate jets at the charter rate when they use those planes for their official or political travel,” Feingold added.
This works on so many levels. It’s good policy because it helps clean up a corrupted process; it’s good politics because voters are anxious to see reform; and it’s good public relations because it highlights Republican excesses while positioning Dems as the party of reform. And as far as Feingold is concerned, it doesn’t hurt his burgeoning presidential bid to make honesty in government his principal legislative issue.
Republicans responded by saying Dems are spinning their wheels.
Despite the media coverage of the congressional and Justice Department investigations, there is some debate as to whether the public has grasped the storyline.
“In the present situation, there is no story here unless another event occurs,” such as an indictment, said a Republican adviser who works with House leaders.
I’m not so sure. Congress’ approval ratings are reaching ridiculous lows and the public is probably vaguely aware that there are ongoing controversies about lawmakers getting trips from lobbyists. That, plus voters are inclined to believe everyone on the Hill is crooked anyway. The more Dems make ethics reform a priority, the more the public will learn about the problem Dems are trying to fix.
It’s entirely clear what specifics Feingold will include in his bill, but the Meehan/Emanuel legislation is pretty strong.
Meehan’s bill, H.R. 2412, would double to two years the time retiring lawmakers have to wait before lobbying on Capitol Hill. It would also double the fines for failing to file lobbying reports to $100,000 from $50,000. And the bill would require the ethics panel to review privately funded trips before they take place.
Even though Meehan’s bill has 72 co-sponsors, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), it faces hurdles in the House.
That’s an understatement. The bill has zero Republican co-sponsors and Hastert and DeLay have shown no willingness to consider reform of any kind.
That, of course, continues to play into the Dems’ hands. There’s one party anxious to clean up Congress and its broken process — and it’s not the party that’s in control now.
Note to congressional Dems: More of this, please.