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Ethics in Government Act of 1978 Amendment

Date: Dec. 7, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations


ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 1978 AMENDMENT -- (House of Representatives - December 07, 2005)

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to make permanent an expiring provision in the current law that ensures protection for judges and for their families when they are threatened and they may be in danger. This is a much-needed revision of the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. But, in addition, this House would do well to pass a 2005 Ethics in Government Act of its own.

Indeed, we have seen in recent months how broken the ethics process in this body is. Had the majority shown as much initiative in fixing that process as it has in bringing this bill to the floor, perhaps we would not have seen Members of that majority indicted or pleading guilty to charges of bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion. As it stands, the Washington Post says investigators are now looking into the actions of at least a half dozen Members of Congress, senior congressional staff, one former Deputy Secretary of the Interior, and several lobbyists.

In the wake of the tragic murder of a Chicago judge last summer, the underlying legislation we consider takes steps to protect that judiciary. But in the wake of countless scandals that continue to bring shame to this institution and the majority, Democrats believe that the time has come to protect the integrity of the judicial process as well.

Mr. Speaker, just as we must protect the hardworking judicial officials in our country, so must we protect the American people, whom this breakdown in the ethics process impacts the most. As the leadership of this House spends more time in courthouses than in the people's House doing the people's business, they are the ones that we are putting at risk when we fail to protect our homeland, as the September 11 Commission chairman found just this week.

I support this legislation. But the time has come to put the needs of people before the special interests of the lobbyists.

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