[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E839-E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SPECIAL INTERESTS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 13, 1998

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, May 6, 1998 into the Congressional Record.

              The Power of Lobbyists and Special Interests

       One of the public's biggest criticisms of Congress is the 
     power that lobbyists and special interests have over the 
     legislative process. People see them as extremely powerful 
     wheeler-dealers, able to manipulate the system for their own 
     advantage, ``buying'' the votes of Members of Congress 
     through extensive campaign contributions and other favors, 
     and basically corrupting the political system.


                                Concerns

       Certainly there are legitimate reasons for concern. 
     Lobbying is constitutionally protected under the right to 
     petition government, yet the powers of pressure groups are 
     formidable. Their numbers are large and their resources vast. 
     There are special interest groups for almost every cause, and 
     lobbying is the third largest business in the nation's 
     capital, behind only government and tourism.
       Special interests gain access to Members through campaign 
     contributions and determined lobbying, and often put pressure 
     on Members to vote with them on their key votes. They also 
     have a broader impact on the legislative process. Lobbyists 
     regularly meet with leaders of Congress to help lay out the 
     congressional agenda, and play a role in drafting 
     legislation, often behind closed doors. Congress will 
     sometimes debate bills that have little or no chance of 
     passage, but which will appease key supporters.
       Interest groups have also been criticized for sending out 
     misleading information on the issues and running expensive 
     ``issue advocacy'' attack ads against those who don't support 
     their positions. They typically try to push through measures 
     that benefit narrow rather than broader interests, and can 
     make more difficult the compromise that is so essential to 
     our system of government. There is no doubt that Members hear 
     disproportionately from the well-off and the politically 
     active groups--such as seniors, veterans, small business 
     owners, and gun owners.
       The power of special interests has long been recognized. 
     More than 200 year ago, James Madison and the other founding 
     fathers were particularly concerned about the power of 
     ``factions'' in a democracy. And over the years, many 
     congressional scandals have been related to powerful special 
     interests and influence buying--from the Union

[[Page E840]]

     Pacific and Credit Mobilier stock scandals in the 1800s to 
     more recently the Keating Five, Koreagate, and Abscam 
     affairs.


                                Benefits

       Yet despite these concerns I believe that there is still a 
     legitimate and important role for lobbyists and special 
     interests to play in our system of government, and that the 
     public's perception of their influence is often exaggerated.
       As the founding fathers recognized, special interests have 
     their drawbacks but they also play an Important role in 
     informing legislators of the concerns of major segments of 
     the population. Advocacy groups can inform Congress of the 
     ways legislation impacts their members, provide extensive 
     information on upcoming issues, and help focus the public's 
     attention on important issues. This flow of information 
     between government and the governed enhances what Jefferson 
     called the ``dialogue of democracy''. I've found that the 
     most effective lobbyists are those providing reliable 
     information to Members and staff. Lobbyists understand that 
     trust is their most precious asset.
       Special interests don't somehow just represent ``the bad 
     guys''. Almost every American is represented by them in some 
     way and has benefitted from their work. Lobbyists work, for 
     example, for the continuation of the home mortgage interested 
     deduction, for expanded medical research, for protecting our 
     lakes and rivers, for improving interstate highways, for 
     maintaining the student loan program, and for protecting 
     religious freedom. Advocacy groups have helped pass 
     legislation ranging from key civil rights protections to the 
     deficit reduction package that has finally balanced the 
     federal budget. Hoosiers benefit directly from the lobbyists 
     representing the interests of the State of Indiana and local 
     cities and towns in Washington.
       It is true that lobbyists sometimes get through Congress 
     measures that help only a few at the expense of the broader 
     public. But the ease by which special interests can 
     manipulate the system and push things through is exaggerated 
     by the public. First, while Members do pay attention to what 
     advocacy groups say, they also pay very close attention to 
     the broad interests of their constituents. The bottom line 
     for Members is that if they ignore the wishes of their 
     constituents, they simply won't get re-elected. Second, 
     special interest groups have proliferated so much in recent 
     years that they often cancel each other out. For example, in 
     the area of health policy one or two groups used to dominate, 
     but now there are 750 health groups alone. Third, the 
     founding fathers specifically set up our government with 
     numerous obstacles for special interests trying to push 
     through legislation. With its complex rules and maze of 
     procedural hurdles, Congress was designed to slow things down 
     and allow all sides a chance to be heard.


                             What's Needed

       Special interest groups have a mixed impact on our 
     political system. We shouldn't simply condemn them, but we do 
     need to rein in some of the excesses and address legitimate 
     concerns.
       Various steps are needed. First, we need to pass campaign 
     finance reform to curb the increasing reliance of lawmakers 
     on money from special interests. Second, the House in recent 
     years has basically banned gifts from lobbyists. Although 
     some people are unhappy with the change, we need to keep 
     tough gift restrictions in place. Third, Congress passed 
     improved lobbying disclosure in 1995 to get a better handle 
     on who is lobbying and what they are doing. That was 
     important, but we need to closely monitor the law to make 
     sure it is not easily avoided, as past reforms have been. 
     Fourth, we need to prohibit travel for Members and staff 
     funded by groups with direct interest in legislation before 
     Congress. Fifth, we need better disclosure of when lobbyists 
     have played a major role in drafting legislation Congress is 
     considering. Clearly the public has a right to know that. 
     Sixth, because Members are much more likely to be contacted 
     by special interest groups representing the better-off, we 
     need to recognize that bias and make a special effort to 
     ensure that all people in our society, including the less 
     well-off, still have a voice in the decisions being made. 
     Finally, all of us need to focus more on what's good for the 
     country as a whole and less on what's good for each of us as 
     individuals. At the end of the day, we are all Americans.


                               Conclusion

       The proliferation of special interest groups may in some 
     ways be worrisome, but it is an integral part of our system 
     of government. As Madison noted, a free society nurtures 
     politically active groups. They may not always act in the way 
     that some of us might like and they may be prone to excesses, 
     but they are still an important force in our system of 
     representative democracy.

     

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