After months of waiting, there is finally
a lobbying reform bill in the House (H.R. 2316). But the bill is hardly the cleanup
we were all promised.
With your support - calls and emails -
we have worked for months to change the culture in Congress. Yet this bill has:
NO Revolving Door provision - nothing to
slow the door that swings between K
Street and the Capitol, allowing elected officials to cash in as lobbyists;
NO Bundling disclosure - lobbyists will
still be able to funnel stacks of cash to members of Congress with no reporting; and
NO Astroturf provision - massive amounts
of money will continue to be spent to lobby Congress with no disclosure of the organizations behind it or the amount of money
being spent.
So these real improvements must be
passed separately as amendments.
The House is expected to vote on the bill
THIS WEEK. This is our chance to make sure that when lobbyists pay for the steak,
the American people get the beef.
Please take a minute now to call or write
your representative and say you are not impressed with the lobbying and ethics reform bill they are proposing. Tell your rep. to support strengthening amendments on Revolving Door, Bundling and Astroturf to beef up
the bill!
To support action https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/publiccitizen/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1036&t=CleanUpWashington2col.dwt