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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Support for Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure

Jan 29, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

This Roll Call ($$) opinion piece explains why some lobbyists are pleased that grassroots lobbying disclosure is absent from the Senate bill. Grassroots lobbying actually weakens the link between lobbyist and lawmakers. "Requiring grass-roots organizations to register or compelling lobbyists to disclose when they assist groups in contacting fellow citizens would strip consultants of constitutionally guaranteed anonymity and would deprive organizations championing unpopular causes of skilled representation."

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CRS Report Says Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure Constitutional

Jan 29, 2007 by Kay Guinane

A Jan. 12, 2007 report from the Congressional Research Service (crs) says courts have upheld the constitutionality of disclosure requirements aimed at "preventing corruption and limiting the undue influence of monied and powerful interests..." The report, Grassroots Lobbying: Constitutionality of Disclosure Requirements by CRS legislative attorney Jack Maskell, provides a detailed history of legal protections for grassroots advocacy and the government's interest in disclosure. The summary says:

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Why Did McCain Vote Against Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure?

Jan 25, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

This morning on National Public Radio (NPR), OMB Watch executive director Gary Bass commented on the grassroots lobbying disclosure provision that the Senate voted against last week. The radio clip discussed how "even" Senator John McCain (R-AZ) voted against it, despite sponsoring legislation in the 109th Congress that called for disclosure of grassroots activities by paid lobbyists. Yet he now voted to strip it out of the ethics and lobbying reform bill, and as insinuated on NPR this morning, this was after conservative groups lobbied him.

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For Clarification OMB Watch Proposes Revisions to Grassroots Disclosure Amendment

Jan 24, 2007 by Kay Guinane

After removal of the grassroots lobbying disclosure provision from S.1 (see more here) and the widespread confusion and misinformation about the measure, OMB Watch has proposed revisions meant to clarify the impact of the proposal. Now that the issue of lobbying disclosure has moved to the House, we hope this revision clarifies the intent of grassroots lobbying disclosure proposal.

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No Pensions for Convicted Lawmakers

Jan 23, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The House has passed a bill today that would strip pensions from any member of Congress "who is convicted of any of certain offenses committed by that individual while serving as a member of Congress, and for other purposes." No one voted against HR 476, especially after the scandals of the previous Congress. A similar measure is included in the Senate ethics and lobbying reform bill that passed late last week.

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OMB Watch Proposal: Revise Grassroots Disclosure Amendment to the LDA

OMB Watch has proposed a revised version of the grassroots lobbying disclosure provision that was dropped from S. 1, the Senate's ethics and lobbying reform bill. The text of the proposed amendment to the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) follows a short explanation.

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Misinformation Campaign Defeats Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure in Senate

When the Senate passed S. 1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007, on Jan. 18, it left out a provision that would have required big dollar federal grassroots lobbying campaigns to disclose their spending and the identity of their clients. The provision was taken out after an intensive campaign by opponents that was primarily based on inaccurate information or interpretations that were at odds with the stated intentions of the sponsors.

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Senate Passes New Rules on Earmark Disclosure

The Senate on Jan. 18 passed a comprehensive lobbying and ethics reform bill — S. 1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 — that included an overhauled earmark disclosure rule. After nearly two weeks of floor debate featuring reversals, stalemates, and a brief filibuster, the Senate voted 96-2 to pass the bill, widening the definition of earmarks and increasing their public disclosure requirements. S. 1 must be passed by the House and signed by the president before any of it, including the Senate rules changes, can take effect.

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Transparency Makes Early Appearance in the New Congress

In the 110th Congress, transparency provisions have quickly moved into a central role in efforts to bring about greater oversight and accountability. From lobbying reform to national security oversight, the new Congress has made legislative strides toward a more open government.

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Senate Passes Ethics and Lobbying Reform Bill

On Jan. 18, the Senate passed its first major piece of legislation, S. 1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007. The sweeping measure covers congressional travel, gifts, and lobbying activity and increases disclosure. However, senators rejected proposals to create an independent ethics panel and to require big dollar grassroots lobbying campaigns to disclose their spending. Grassroots lobbying disclosure and other proposals now move to the House, which has passed its own ethics rules, but has yet to act on amending the Lobbying Disclosure Act. Travel and Gifts

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