[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 75 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5261-S5262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MONITORING OF LOBBYISTS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, in this morning's paper I was stunned to 
read a headline but more stunned to read the story itself. It is in the 
Washington Post, titled ``GOP Monitoring Lobbyists' Politics.''
  Among other things, the article says:

       Republicans are researching the party affiliation and 
     political contributions of hundreds of lobbyists in 
     Washington, part of a campaign that could deny government 
     access and prime lobbying jobs to Democrats. . . . Copies of 
     the bulky dossier, being compiled . . . will be given to top 
     White House officials. . . . Early drafts of the report are 
     already in the hands of a few senior administration officials 
     and lawmakers . . . The report, dubbed the K Street Project, 
     has been evolving in fits and starts over the past few years, 
     but has been expedited and expanded now that Republicans 
     control the White House and Federal agencies. Several 
     Republican lobbyists have complained that they aren't getting 
     the access to Federal agencies they feel they deserve.
       Republicans involved in the effort said they plan for it to 
     be used by White House officials, lawmakers and staff to 
     determine who can meet with party leaders in discussions of 
     policy matters.

  If there was ever anything that was immoral, wrong, and scandalous, 
this was it. To think that people who have jobs--you can pick any 
company you want--they hire somebody or they have worked for a number 
of years and they are going to check to see what party they belong to 
as to whether or not they can meet with a Federal agency, that is 
really bad. I do not think it is criminal, but I think it is on the 
verge of being criminal.
  This sets a very dangerous precedent. This, in my opinion, is 
tantamount to McCarthyism. It involves the practice of compiling a new 
enemy's list to be circulated out of the administration and the Hill. 
Maybe we should include, rather than just McCarthy, Nixon. This appears 
to be something that would have happened during the Watergate 
years. Enemies are those who belong to or support the Democratic Party. 
They are targeted.

[[Page S5262]]

  President Bush, during the campaign, said he wanted to change the 
tone of things in Washington. The tone has not been changed. Someone 
should get to the President and say this has got to stop. I cannot 
imagine President Bush liking this. If he does, it speaks volumes.
  Top White House officials have said he wanted to change the tone in 
Washington, but today we learn he is working in tandem with those 
keeping secret lists of people's personal activity for intimidation, 
professional retaliation, or maybe even character assassinations.
  It is not enough they block access to all non-Republicans. The story 
indicates that the ``chief aim is to prod trade associations, lobbying 
firms, and corporations to hire more Republicans to represent them in 
Washington.''
  It is somewhat ironic the party most opposed to affirmative action 
supports its application when it comes to hiring lobbyists. They 
support affirmative action when it comes to the hiring of Republican 
lobbyists but oppose it when it comes to helping a minority gain entry 
to college.
  The person behind this secret list is a frequent adviser and a 
visitor to the President. His name is in this story. The President 
should pick up the phone, call his friend, and denounce it and tell him 
that President George W. Bush will not tolerate what amounts to 
Nixonian-McCarthyism.
  I don't know this President as well as I know his father, but I 
guarantee the first President Bush would not condone this. I guarantee 
that. One thing about the previous President Bush, he was a very 
pragmatic man. This is so wrong. It is extraordinarily disappointing if 
the President is complicit in these secret lists, lists designed to 
suppress workers' liberties in order to protect special interests. This 
is a witch-hunt, tracking and documenting people's personal choices 
with invasive tactics to threaten and intimidate freedom in the 
workplace.
  If you have someone who represents a company or a trade association, 
will they now, each time there is an election where there is a 
turnover, have to fire all Republicans or fire all Democrats until all 
the lobbyists are of the same party as the person who is President of 
the United States? I hope not.
  We have lobbyists, advocates, and consultants talked about in this 
article. Does it mean that next they will go after researchers, maybe 
teachers, doctors, or lawyers? Or maybe people from Hawaii? Pick any 
group. Where will it end? Will the Republican lawmakers be told not to 
meet with Democratic constituents? For a party that defined itself 
during the cold war as the enemy of communism, their new playbook would 
be the envy of one of the Communist dictators. Every elected official, 
Republican and Democrat, should denounce this. This is wrong.
  Every person should call upon the President, a lawmaker, and say, 
stop this. Today's story about his supporters secretly compiling a new 
enemies list changes both the tone and the clock, but it changes it in 
the wrong direction. We do not want to turn the clock back to Nixonian-
McCarthyism.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________