The Senate’s Lobbying and Ethics Changes

Guest poster: Paul Blumenthal of the Sunlight Foundation:

Two weeks ago the Senate passed a series of sweeping changes in ethics and lobbying laws and in the Senate Rules. I've started a Congresspedia page on the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 that contains a handy run down of the changes passed by the Senate. The bill contains both Senate rule changes that can be immediately implemented as well as law changes that the House must now also pass before they can take effect. The measures in the bill which require House action are:

• New lobbying restrictions and disclosure requirements.
• Restrictions on private jet travel for candidates for office.
• New reports filed by the House and Senate Ethics Committees.
• The creation of an online database of member’s travel gift reports.
• The creation of the Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress.
• Freeze pay of Members voting against COLA pay raise.

The Senate rule changes that do not require House action are:

• Online posting of earmarks in a searchable database 48 hours prior to a vote.
• Online posting of all committee hearings in a print, video, or audio format.
• Online posting of all conference committee reports 48 hours prior to a vote.

The Senate has also banned gifts from lobbyists, private travel arranged, paid for, or involving a lobbyist or an organization employing a lobbyist, lavish lobbyist-thrown parties for lawmakers at party conventions, Senate spouses lobbying the Senate, secret job negotiations while in office, and secret changes in conference committee reports. These are just a few of the many changes instituted in this bill.

For continuing updates and more information, go to the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 page.