Editorial: Lobbying reform legislation a good start

Wednesday, August 1, 2007  

"It took a while, and the process certainly hasn’t been pretty, but the Democrats are close to winning passage of their long-promised ethics reform bill. We suspect it will take a lot more than one new law to break the binding and corrupting ties of lobbyist cash and politics. But the bill, which the House approved with overwhelming, bipartisan enthusiasm yesterday, is a good start.

The bill is not perfect. It doesn’t place enough restrictions on the rush of lawmakers into lobbying careers, but it is a major step toward resisting the Capitol corruption laid bare in the downfall of Jack Abramoff. He’s the über-lobbyist whose lavish wooing of dodgy lawmakers led to the Republicans’ loss of Congressional control. In the minority now, Senate Republicans would be foolish to block this urgently needed reform, as some are threatening.

The commitment to reform goes far beyond any party’s campaign pledge. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, has an opportunity to join the majority leader, Harry Reid, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in delivering bipartisan reform. Voters are watching closely to see if Congress finally has the courage to clean itself up."

Get the Story:
Coming Clean in the Capitol (The New York Times 8/1)
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Related Stories:
House Votes 411-8 to Pass Ethics Overhaul (The Washington Post 8/1)
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House, 411-8, Passes a Vast Ethics Overhaul (The New York Times 8/1)
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Lobbying Reform Legislation:
S.1 | Roll Call

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