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The Meehan Bill (HR 2412)

• Full Text of Bill [PDF]

Meehan, Emanuel Announce Comprehensive Lobbying Reform Legislation Call for Change in Relationship Between Congress and K Street May 4, 2005 U.S. Representatives Marty Meehan (D-MA) and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) announced the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2005 today. The legislation requires members of Congress to fully disclose congressional travel, makes it easier for citizens to learn about who is lobbying members of Congress, slows the “revolving door” between government and lobbying, and strengthens the enforcement and oversight of ethics and lobbying rules already in place.

“In recent months, the American people have learned more about the kind of unseemly influence peddling that occurs all too often in Washington,” said Meehan. “Today, there is an ethical cloud hanging over Congress.    A decade after the last reforms, it is time to take steps to restore the American people’s confidence in Congress as an institution.” “K Street lobbyists have become the full-service ‘back office’ of Congress,” said Emanuel. “Whether facilitating cozy relationships, funding lavish trips or writing major legislation, lobbyists are omnipresent. It’s time for us to reform the relationships between lobbyists and members of Congress, so that we can close the auction house and restore the People’s House.” According to the Center for Public Integrity, money spent on lobbying has doubled in the past six years—from $1.6 billion in 1998 to more than $3 billi on last year—nearly twice the amount spent on campaigns for Congress. Because our laws have not changed with the times, there is virtually no oversight into this multi-billion dollar practice. In fact, compliance with existing lobbying disclosure laws is in disarray. Over the past 6 years, nearly 300 individuals, companies or associations lobbied without first registering. 210 out of the 250 top lobbying firms failed to file one or more required document. Almost 20% of documents were filed late.

Summary of the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act:

1.    Increasing Lobby Disclosure: The bill requires lobbyists to disclose their activities quarterly through electronic filings. It allows citizens access to a web-based database for lobbying information. It exposes the identities of “stealth” lobbying coalitions and requires lobbyists to disclose money spent on “grassroots” lobbying activities.

2.    Slowing the Revolving Door: This legislation extends the current one-year “waiting period” for members, senior staff, and senior executive personnel lobbying Congress to two years. It requires public disclosure when negotiating future employment and prohibits members from basing official actions on the prospect of personal gain or employment.

3.    Curbing Excesses in Congressional Travel: The Meehan/Emanuel legislation requires members of Congress to disclose detailed itineraries of trips and prohibits “front groups” from hiding sponsors of travel. This bill prohibits registered lobbyists from organizing junkets and requires congressional travel to conform with new guidelines reflecting existing “per diem” limits on official government travel.

4.   Toughening Enforcement and Oversight: This legislation requires the Government Accountability Office to investigate and report on the effectiveness of the House and Senate offices responsible for oversight. It doubles the civil penalty for failing to file lobbying reports and mandates that the House Administration Committee hold hearings on lobbying disclosure. Finally, the legislation forms a bipartisan task force to review congressional ethics oversight and enforcement.

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