Lobbying and Ethics

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

read in full

Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

read in full

Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

read in full

Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

read in full

more news

Grassroots Lobbying Provision Stripped from S.1

Jan 19, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Democrats were under great pressure to complete their ethics and lobbying reform bill. The comprehensive bill approved last night unfortunately did not include Sec.220 for grassroots lobbying disclosure, after Senator Bennett's amendment was passed calling for the removal of the measure. As the Washington Post reports; "One provision that was stricken from the bill last night would have forced interest groups to disclose funds spent on grass-roots campaigns that implore the public to contact their representatives about legislation." The amendment was passed by a vote of 43-55.

read in full

Senate Passes Ethics and Lobbying Reform Package

Jan 19, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Late last night, the Senate passed S. 1 by a 96-2 vote, after a deal was struck between Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) to allow Gregg's non-germane presidential line-item or 'enhanced recission' authority amendment to be brought up next week during the Senate debate on the minimum wage. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who appeared willing to hold S. 1 hostage so long as any accommodation of Gregg's amendment was made, dropped his objections and permitted a vote on S. 1.

read in full

Action Alert: Urge Your Senator to Vote NO on the Bennett Amendment

Jan 18, 2007 by Kay Guinane

A proposal to make big money grassroots lobbying campaigns on federal legislation more transparent is under fire from opponents that have exaggerated the impact it will have on nonprofits. Sen. Bennett has proposed an amendment to strip the provision (Sec. 220) from S. 1, the Senate ethics and lobby reform bill. THE VOTE ON THE BENNETT AMENDMENT IS LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. To support transparency and expose "Astroturf" campaigns please contact your Senators and ask them to VOTE NO on the Bennett Amendment. To take action click here

read in full

McCain to Vote in Favor of Removing Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure

Jan 18, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Hill reports that Senator McCain plans on supporting Senator Bennett's amendment that would remove the grassroots lobbying provision from S.1, despite previous support of such a measure. "McCain sponsored legislation last Congress that included an even broader requirement for grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. But now he will vote to defeat a similar measure." This amendment could still be voted on. Opponents argue that the provision will directly affect the level of activism by citizen groups.

read in full

S. 1 Hits Snag Over Line-Item Veto

Jan 18, 2007 by Dana Chasin

S. 1 (text), the Senate ethics and lobbying bill (now in its second week on the floor), lies in a state of legislative limbo following the failure of a cloture vote, 51-46, late last night. Because S. 1 contains Senate rules changes, a two-thirds vote is required for cloture, rather than the usual 60 votes.

read in full

Work on S.1 Continues

Jan 17, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

As work on S.1 continues on, Senators Lott and Bennett have offered changes to a Reid amendment that would allow nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations to pay for congressional travel if the trips are pre-approved by the Senate Ethics Committee. And as reported in BNA($$); "Another key cloture vote, expected to come Jan. 17, will be on a larger amendment offered by Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as a substitute for the underlying reform bill.

read in full

S. 1 UPDATE: A Byrd Rule for Earmarks?

Jan 16, 2007 by Adam Hughes*

Debate on S. 1 has resumed on the Senate floor, with votes today expected on:

a technical correction, to be offered by Sen. Durbin, to last week's DeMint amendment
the DeMint amendment itself, as corrected
a Reid amendment to require senators to pay charter rates to fly on private jets (Reid is said to be trying to address the issues of senators who have their own planes and those who live in rural states with limited air service)

All three items are expected to pass with overwhelming majorities.

read in full

Myth v. Fact: The Impact of Federal Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure in S. 1

In a Dec. 30, 2006 letter to Public Citizen, American Target Advertising, Inc. explains its opposition to legislation that would require disclosure of big money grassroots lobbying campaigns on federal legislation (S.1 ). The letter gives some examples that misstate what the bill would do and are contrary to the stated intentions of the bill's sponsors. To reduce the confusion we have provided alternative answers to the hypothetical questions American Target Advertising (ATA) poses in its letter. Updated Jan. 18, 2007: More Myths and Facts

read in full

Ethics Editorial

Jan 16, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Today's Washington Post has this editorial, "Ethical Progress" which commends the efforts in the Senate on the ethics and lobbying form bill so far. Yet, this piece notes that important amendments and provisions would strengthen the legislation.

read in full

Opponents of Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure are Wrong about Impact on Nonprofits

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2007—Public statements by some opponents of a provision in S. 1, the Senate ethics and lobby reform bill that would bring transparency to big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, have misled many nonprofits into believing the proposal is an effort to silence criticism of Congress and a plot by liberals to keep conservative viewpoints from being heard.

read in full