Pelosi: Republican So-Called Lobbying Reform Proposal Sticks a Band-Aid on a Gaping Wound'
January 17, 2006
Pelosi: Republican So-Called Lobbying Reform Proposal Sticks a Band-Aid on a Gaping Wound'
Washington, D.C.- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in response to the Republicans' press conference on lobbying reform:
"For more than a decade, Speaker Hastert and House Republicans have benefited from their systemic culture of corruption at the expense of the American people. Today, the Republicans so-called lobbying reform proposal sticks a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.
"The Republican proposal fails to address the serious ethical abuses resulting from violations of existing rules and laws designed to curb corruption; it does nothing to restore an open, democratic process to the floor of Congress; and it leaves totally intact the Republican K Street project that trades lobbyist jobs for special legislative favors.
"Democrats are fighting for real reform that would clean up the Republican Congress with real lobbying reform, increasing the transparency and openness of government, and enforcing the rules and laws already on the books. The American people deserve a Congress that represents the interests of everyday Americans, not those of Republican special interests and their lobbyists."
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Highlights of Recent House Democratic Proposals to Clean Up Congress
December 8, 2003 - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi introduces a privileged resolution condemning the Republicans' abuse of House rules during the debate and vote on the Medicare prescription drug bill of November 2003.
June 24, 2004 - Leader Pelosi introduces the Minority Bill of Rights that includes guidelines for a bipartisan administration of the House and provides for the full and open debate of legislation.
October 8, 2004 - Leader Pelosi introduces a privileged resolution on the House floor directing the House Ethics Committee to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations against Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
December 6, 2004 - Leader Pelosi and House Democrats forced Republicans to remove their assault on tax pay privacy that was slipped into the omnibus spending bill and voted on without providing Members adequate time to read the bill.
January 4, 2005 - Leader Pelosi and House Democrats introduce a reform package of House rules, including one forbidding Members from negotiating with an outside entity that has business with their committee or the House. Dubbed the Tauzin Rule, it is named for Congressman Billy Tauzin who was being courted by the pharmaceutical industry while managing the Medicare prescription drug bill.
March 8, 2005 - Leader Pelosi and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter release a detailed report on the Republican rules abuses. The report chronicles the unprecedented erosion of the democratic process in the 108th Congress.
March 15, 2005 and April 14, 2005 - Leader Pelosi introduces a privileged resolution asking the Speaker to create a bipartisan task force to make recommendations to fix the ethics process.
April 27, 2005 - Leader Pelosi and House Democrats force Republicans to reverse their partisan ethics rules that were adopted in January and restore bipartisan rules ethics rules that hade been in place since 1997.
April 27, 2005 - Leader Pelosi sends a letter to Speaker Hastert to express concern over Ethics Committee Chairman Doc Hasting's proposal to hire partisan committee staff.
May 17, 2005 - Leader Pelosi and Congressman George Miller hold a news conference to discuss ethics reform and unveil new ethical standards and principles. These principles include banning Member from accepting gifts from lobbyists, banning lobbying by Members and high level staff for two years after leaving Congress, and banning lobbyists from arranging and financing travel.
May 17, 2005 - Congressmen Marty Meehan and Rahm Emanuel introduce the Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005. The bill, endorsed by Leader Pelosi, increases disclosure of lobbying activities, slows the revolving door between government and lobbying, curbs lobbyist-sponsored trips, and toughens enforcement and oversight.
September 20, 2005 - Leader Pelosi and Congressman Henry Waxman announce legislation to create an anti-fraud commission for the rebuilding effort in the Gulf Coast region.
September 27, 2005 - Leader Pelosi and Congressman Waxman introduce the Anti-Cronyism and Public Safety Act, which would prohibit the President from appointing unqualified individuals to critical public safety positions in the government.
October 21, 2005 - Leader Pelosi sends a letter to the Speaker urging him to join her in requesting an investigation into allegations regarding Congressman Bob Ney.
November 30, 2005 - Leader Pelosi sends a letter to the Speaker urging him to support the creation of a bipartisan committee to investigate Congressman Duke Cunningham's criminal activities.
December 5, 2005 - Congressmen David Obey, Barney Frank, David Price, and Tom Allen unveil a 14-point House rules reform package. The package, endorsed by Leader Pelosi, weakens lobbyist influence, strengthens fiscal discipline, outlaws the use of earmarks to buy votes, curbs abuses of power, and creates more time for Congressional oversight.
December 8, 2005 - Leader Pelosi introduces a privileged resolution on the Republican culture of corruption and the Medicare prescription drug bill and its negative effect on America's seniors.
January 11, 2006 - Leader Pelosi sends a letter to the Speaker urging him to bring Democratic legislation to the House floor that would help restore public confidence and weaken lobbyist influence in the House.
January 18, 2006 - Leader Pelosi and House and Senate Democrats will propose their Honest Leadership and Open Government agenda and affirm their commitment to reforming Washington and focusing on the business of the American people, not the special interests.
http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=1363