Posted on 01/15/2006 6:33:47 AM PST by Libloather
Dems Ready Proposal on Code of Conduct
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
Sat Jan 14, 8:23 PM ET
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., emerges from the French Cafe' restaurant in Omaha's Old Market, following a news conference in Omaha, Neb., Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006. Reid called for more ethics in Washington during a visit to Omaha, part of a tour that took him to rural, Republican-voting states this week. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
WASHINGTON - Democrats intend to unveil a sweeping plan this week to tighten Congress' code of conduct, officials said Saturday night, including a ban on lobbyists' gifts to lawmakers and a crackdown on special interest provisions slipped into legislation in the final moments before passage.
Eager to claim the mantle of reform in the wake of an election-year corruption scandal, Democrats also will propose doubling the current one-year cooling off period that former lawmakers or senior aides must observe before they are allowed to lobby without restriction.
The ban on lobbyist gifts would include meals and tickets to sporting or entertainment events as well as travel, according to officials familiar with the proposals.
The party's top leaders in Congress, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, are scheduled to announce the Democratic proposals on Wednesday.
The officials who described their plans did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to pre-empt the formal announcement.
Republicans hold a majority in both houses of Congress, and beginning last year, Democrats signaled their intention of making ethics an issue in the 2006 elections.
Their efforts have intensified since lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist with close ties to senior House Republicans, pleaded guilty earlier this month to federal charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion in a wide-ranging corruption investigation.
Republicans responded rapidly to the guilty plea, hoping to limit the political fallout. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., have both announced plans to consider changes in rules or law to limit the impact lobbyists have on members of Congress. Both men are considering bans on gifts and privately funded travel, and waiting to hear recommendations from fellow Republicans on other measures.
At the same time, Republicans have yet to agree on a comprehensive approach, as Pelosi and Reid intend to do. Howard Dean, the Democratic party chairman, is scheduled to travel to Ohio on Wednesday to stress the same issue. The state's Republican governor, Bob Taft, pleaded no contest last summer to charges that he failed to report numerous golf outings since taking office in 1999.
The Democratic proposals would end practices that Abramoff used frequently to court members of Congress.
Investigators have said that at a Washington restaurant Abramoff once owned, for example, the staff had a list of lawmakers who were permitted to dine on the owner's tab whenever they were present.
Current rules permit lawmakers to accept gifts of up to $50 in value. But there is no aggregate annual limit on the gifts they are allowed to take.
The practice of making changes in legislation shortly before a final vote is a time-honored one in Congress. In the Senate, it is not unusual for key lawmakers seeking additional votes for their bill to insert last-minute changes.
Pelosi and Reid intend to call for curbs on the practice, requiring that printed copies of legislation, including last-minute amendments, be given to all lawmakers 24 hours before a vote, officials said.
The requirement could be waived under terms that effectively require the agreement of the minority party.
I hope Republicans immediately pass a law like this. It will kill the Democrat party because it's CORRUPT leaders and constituents will no longer be on the pork gravy train. Thus ending their reason for being involved in politics in the first place.
Reid and Palosi come out STRONG for release of the Barret report. Oooooooooopps! Not THAT ethical! Don't look Ethyl!!!!!!!!
lol
Yes, we can keep the constitution while we update procedures using technology. Also it will NEVER happen. They love their world of power and pleasure.
B A R R E T T R E P O R T ,WHERE IS IT!!!!!!
Where is the ethics in vestigation on Hillary taking over 700 thousand dollars from the hollywood fund raiser!
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
RATS shouldn't be making up the rules...
Right on Bro. Didjaknow that the Dims do not have any connections to Lobbyists for fundrasing and junkets overseas!
The Dims are simply yelling, " Not Fair" because the Pubbies have taken up ALL of the lobbyist income!
I mean this is from the party whose president and first lady ( Billary)gave access to the Whitehouse ( sleep overnight program) to lobbyists that were vile compared to even Abramoff!( Not to mention it gave Bill a nookysource when Hillary was away!) I mean remember John Huang ??? See www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=4312
And this from the party that took money from the Chinese Red Army that was laundered through a Chinese Buddhist Temple in California (Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights)? Quid pro Quo? Clinton sold out the USA to China on security and technology transfers when he moved Strategic Tech export review from the US Dept. of State to Ron Brown's Dept of Commerce. But now Pelosi and Reid forget all this? We don't, see the testimony from liberal lips: www.pbs.org/newshour/campaign/september97/hearing_9-4.html
Because of the War on Terror and The Patriot Act, the Dims traditional illegal funding sources are NOW cut off and they resent the Pubbies having almost all of the legitimate lobbyists in their Republican pockets!!!! TANK DIMS, YOU SOLD OUT THE COUNTRY AND NOW NO ONE WANTS TO GIVE YOU MONEY!!!
See: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/players/huang.htm
Star, I share in your Bwahahaha!
Donchajustluvit??
Pundits will remeber that Gore has purchased real estate in California to be closer to his Chinese communist Buddies!
Republicans should have come out in front with an ethics reform package. They fumbled and passed the ball to the Democrats.
Problem is, the pubbies also must swim in the swamp to function - wink, wink - in Washington DC.
Hey Harry, given Abramhoff back the $60,000 plus yet? What is your response to news reports that you are one of 5 law makers being targeted by the DOJ investigation?
You watch, their code of conduct will make sure that any Union or Leftwing pressure group or 527c can do anything it wants while any business lobby will be prevented from doing anything.
"fumbled the ball" because all the supposedly "Conservative Pundits" starting screaming along with the Junk Media instead of saying "HEY, what abotu all these Democrats, including Harry Reid, who are freind of Abramoff". Just another example of how PR stupid the "conservative" movement has become. Way to be cheerleaders for your enemies "Conservatives". But of course, it is all "the Republicans" fault since "Conservatives" are just like the Junk Media in their complet inablity to admit any possiblity of error on THEIR part
Interesting how everyone is ignoring the problems of their own guy from NOLA.... Abramoff is on every front page and they put the dem in the C sections.....
Pelosi is a day late and a dollar short
The GOP can take the lead make the RATZ squeal.
The RAT plan would be to refuse to vote for any GOP proposals, then have the bill stalled. Pelosi will then have an issue to run on.
RATZ saying that a bill that prevents corruption prevents too much corruption is something I can live with.
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