ITS ABOUT TIME

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B51A8CB24-1BFE-4F63-84DB-951FC5D7FE8C%7D&siteid=google


Democrats offer lobby reform planGOP rule has allowed 'tree of corruption,' leader says

By William L. Watts, MarketWatchLast Update: 5:12 PM ET Jan. 18, 2006
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would ban members of Congress from receiving gifts and meals, and would shut down a GOP program that promotes the hiring of Republican lobbyists.
A federal probe into the activities of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has promised to cooperate with prosecutors, has ensured that efforts to tighten the rules that govern how lobbyists interact with lawmakers will be at center stage as Congress begins its 2006 session.
Democrats say the Abramoff probe has exposed a "culture of corruption" that has taken root amid Republican control of both houses of Congress. The Democratic proposal comes a day after House GOP leaders offered their own package of lobbying restrictions. See full story.
"Republicans have been and continue to resist true reform because they all benefit from enabling the culture of corruption" said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "Republicans have allowed this poison tree of corruption to bear the fruit of very bad policy for the American people."
Hastert on Tuesday argued that neither Republicans nor Democrats can afford to be self-righteous.
"I think certainly raising money by either party is certainly not foreign to this place," Hastert said. "But we want to make sure that any raising of money is -- first of all, there is transparency to it, that there's an accountability to it."
The Abramoff probe already has forced Rep. Robert Ney, R-Ohio, to step aside temporarily as chairman of the House Administration Committee. Abramoff's plea agreement refers to a congressman, identified in news reports as Ney, who accepted lavish trips, meals and other items in return for official acts. Ney has denied any wrongdoing.
Ties to Abramoff have prompted several lawmakers, as well as President Bush, to give away campaign donations he supplied. They also forced former House majority leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, to give up on plans to return to GOP leadership -- prompting a three-way race for the caucus' No. 2 position, to be decided Feb. 2.
Republicans have argued that Democrats haven't been untouched by scandal allegations.
Although no Democrats received personal donations from Abramoff, some Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., received campaign donations from Abramoff clients.
The Democratic proposals sought to capitalize on the Abramoff probe by naming specific provisions after figures tied to the investigation.
A provision named the "Tony Rudy reform" would aim to close the "revolving door" between government and lobbying firms by strengthening the ban on lobbying by former lawmakers and staff members after they leave government service. Democrats named the measure after a former DeLay aide who later worked for Abramoff.
Another provision, called the "Jack Abramoff Reform," would ban the receipt of gifts, including gifts of meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists. Abramoff has said he provided such gifts and other inducements to lawmakers in return for official acts.
The Democratic proposal would also aim to shutter programs such as the "K Street Project," a Republican program championed by DeLay that encouraged corporations, trade associations and other interests to hire lobbyists with Republican ties. K Street is the address for many of the capital's top lobbying firms.
Reid had sharp criticism for the project, and ridiculed Senate Republicans for appointing Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who Democrats say is a top GOP liaison to the lobbying community, to head their reform efforts.
"To have someone who is as responsible as anyone in the world for the K Street Project, Mr. Santorum, stand in this Capitol and say that he and his pal Tom DeLay and others are going to reform Congress is like saying we're going to put [Michael Brown] back in charge of FEMA," Reid said.
Reid, who has been criticized by Republicans for accepting donations from Abramoff clients, also cited an ongoing probe into Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's stock sales as part of the GOP "culture of corruption."
Frist responded with a statement that accused Reid of offering "more partisan rhetoric than reform."
"Sen. Reid and Senate Democrats should work with us to develop meaningful bipartisan solutions -- rather than engaging in divisive partisan politics that will further erode, rather than strengthen, public confidence and trust in America's elected officials," Frist said.
The Republican proposal outlined Tuesday by Hastert and House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, R-Calif., included provisions that would tighten restrictions on gifts and would ban all privately-funded travel for lawmakers.
William L. Watts is a reporter for MarketWatch.