Shays-Meehan To Introduce New Lobby Reform Bill
by Guest Blogger, 6/20/2006
From Roll Call:
[Reform] groups are set to rally around a bill expected this week from Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) that will include reform provisions that were dropped or blocked from the leadership-approved overhaul measures.
The bill would create an Office of Public Integrity to oversee compliance with new lobbying rules; require more frequent and fuller disclosures by lobbyists of their activities; ban gifts to lawmakers; and force them to pay fair market value for rides they catch on private planes.
“This will serve as a marker for the reform groups who will be criticizing the conference report,” said Public Citizen’s Craig Holman.
To try to keep campaign and ethics reform measures front and center in this fall’s midterm elections, a coalition of watchdog and issue groups on Wednesday plan to launch a program designed to get Congressional candidates to sign a pledge that they’ll support public financing of elections as well as anti-corruption and lobbying reforms, Holman said.
