Van Hollen: Republican Leadership Squanders Opportunity to End Culture of Corruption and Pass Tough Lobbying Reform Measure

Van Hollen: Republican Leadership Squanders Opportunity to End Culture of Corruption and Pass Tough Lobbying Reform Measure

Van Hollen Amendment to Strengthen Lobbying Reform Stripped from Legislation

The House of Representatives today shut the door on meaningful lobbying reform by passing a measure that prohibits any amendments that will salvage an otherwise sham bill. Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) voted against the rule that restricted these amendments.

Van Hollen was blocked from offering an amendment that would have required lobbyists to disclose any contribution that they solicit and transmit from any person or political committee to a Member of Congress. The amendment would have also required the disclosure of any registered lobbyist who serves as a treasurer of a campaign of a Member of Congress or the chairman of any political committee.

"This amendment would have shined some much needed light on the cozy nexus between lobbying and campaign fundraising," said Van Hollen.

Van Hollen's amendment passed the Judiciary Committee on a vote of 28 to 4, but was stripped from the final bill by Republican leadership without justification or explanation. Van Hollen sought to have the amendment reinstated in the Rules Committee, but Committee Republicans blocked his legislation from being included in the final bill.

"Rules Committee Republicans wasted an opportunity to bring real lobbying reform legislation to the floor of the House for a vote," said Van Hollen. "The bill passed by the House today does not address the problems that have created the culture of corruption on Capitol Hill. In fact, measures to strengthen the bill -- added through the committee process -- have been summarily deleted without a debate or vote. It is ironic that the abuse of power that this legislation seeks to address is alive and well in the management of the bill. This legislation is window dressing that does little to change the status quo."

The Washington Post shed light on this sham lobbying reform legislation in recent editorials, including a foreshadowing April 13 editorial about Van Hollen's amendment. The editorial read, "We are almost reluctant to flag this provision for fear that it will be shot down all the more quickly, but in fact no other disclosure requirement would be more useful in explaining the way Washington does business than this one."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/md08_vanhollen/Amdt_Stripped.html