Honesty & Ethics

Honesty & Ethics

To be represented by public officials who work honestly on their behalf, voters must choose only people who have earned their trust, people who will listen, think, and then make decisions in the open. I am proud of having earned a reputation as a "champion of high ethical standards" for government officials.

As a State Senator, I sponsored legislation:

* Forbidding public servants from accepting gifts from lobbyists
* Prohibiting politicians from converting campaign contributions to personal use
* Requiring conflict-of-interest disclosure by public servants
* Reducing the amount of money that candidates can be given as campaign contributions

I was twice awarded the "Bird Dog" honor by Common Cause for dedication "to the cause of honesty and integrity in government," and praised editorially for my efforts in the recent special session of the General Assembly on ethics. I fought for true reform.

As your Congressman, I will fight to ensure:

* Congress passes real ethics reform which limits special interest influence by reducing contributions and eliminating lobbyist's gifts and junkets.
* Congresspersons who break the law or standards of ethics are punished; pensions for law violators should be disallowed as they now are in Tennessee through my advocacy.
* The separation of powers established by the Constitution is respected. The Congress must be the people's check and balance on the executive and operate as a watchdog and independent branch of government as the founding fathers envisioned.

Everyday citizens are represented, not just the rich and powerful. The new Congressperson from the 9th District should not come from big business; he should understand it is the people's House.

http://www.cohenforcongress.com/issues-honesty.html