With lobbying and ethics reform proposals starting to abound in Washington, additional details are continuing to emerge about the real difference it makes to have powerful lobbyists with access to unscrupulous lawmakers, particularly at the last minute.

The Washington Post ran a front page story today noting that a provision that would save private HMOs $22 billion over the next decade was dropped at the last minute from a budget bill in late 2005. According to the story:

That change was made in mid-December during private negotiations involving House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) and the staffs of those committees as well as the House Energy and Commerce Committee. House and Senate Democrats were excluded from the meeting.

This instance is simply one more example of why any lobbying and ethics reform must also address the budget and appropriations processes. Simply limiting gifts and changing the rules for lobbyists will not close the opportunities to secretly alter major legislation at the whim of a few powerful interests.