The leadership in the House has been working on its legislation to reform lobbying disclosure and ethics practices and is expected to unveil the plan today, May 15, or tomorrow, May 16, with a mark-up of the bill in the Judiciary Committee expected May 17. Despite repeated statements that a bill will be filed soon, controversy over grassroots lobbying disclosure, limits on bundling of campaign contributions by registered lobbyists and expansion of the cooling off period before ex-members of Congress can lobby have stalled progress. Rumors abound that the Democratic leadership bill will address the revolving door issue by doubling the cooling off period to two years. But the other two issues — grassroots lobbying disclosure and bundling of campaign contributions — are not likely to be addressed, although the leadership seems willing to have them offered as amendments or separate bills.

At a briefing in the U.S. Capitol on May 8, the Open House Project, a collaborative effort by government information experts, congressional staff, nonprofit organizers and bloggers to develop attainable reforms to promote transparency in the House of Representatives, publicly launched its new report and recommendations. The project was initiated and is managed by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit that strives to use the Internet and technology to ensure greater government transparency and accountability.