[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S452-S453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 2233. A bill to reform and improve the regulation of lobbying and 
congressional ethics; to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today 
that reforms and improves the regulation of lobbying and raises 
congressional ethics standards.
  There is a perception in America that members of Congress care less 
about the public interest and more about advancing their own personal 
and financial interests. We need to make fundamental changes in how we 
permit lobbyists to influence legislation, hearings, appropriations, 
and our general oversight of the Executive Branch.
  The Democratic leadership bill to reform lobbying rules, the Honest 
Leadership and Open Government Act, which I am cosponsoring, contains 
sensible enough reforms.
  Rather than standing pat, the measure I am introducing today is 
tougher medicine. I believe it will go a long way to changing the view 
of constituents that Congress is corrupt and ethically challenged.
  The measure: institutes a Congress-wide two year ban on Senators, 
House members and their staffs lobbying Capitol Hill; takes a zero 
tolerance approach to lobbyist offered sports and entertainment tickets 
and meals; prohibits any lobbyist sponsored, or paid for, travel; and 
eliminates the option of registered lobbyists working in any capacity 
for a Senator's or House Member's election campaigns or fundraising 
operations.
  A New York Times poll this past Friday sums up, in stark terms, 
public perceptions of Congress.
  When asked ``Do you think that recent reports that lobbyists may have 
bribed members of Congress are isolated incidents or is this the way 
things work in Congress'', 77 percent of the respondents said bribing 
is the ``way things work'' in Congress. The survey indicates a 61 
percent disapproval rating of Congress as well.
  One poll participant, Mr. Donald Pertius from Arkansas, commented 
that ``It seems like the integrity of Congress Members in the last few 
years has just gone to pot.''
  A key step, that will go a long way to clearing up the perception 
that individuals leaving the Hill immediately trade on their contacts 
and friendships, is a two year Congress-wide ban on lobbying for 
Members and staff once they leave their jobs.
  Members and staff make a beeline for K Street when they leave the 
Hill. According to the New York Times, 50 percent of the 36 Senators 
retired since 1998 and 40 percent of the 162 House Members have signed 
up as lobbyists.
  The Democratic leadership bill, and from what I understand the 
Republican measure being drafted, restricts staff from lobbying their 
former offices. That is good but we need to go further.
  We need to change the minds of people across America that working in 
the Senate or House is about a commitment to public service--not a 
revolving door to cashing in as a private sector lobbyist.
  On another front, numerous Senate and House campaigns have registered 
lobbyists as Treasurers for Members' PACs and in other key finance 
roles. It's another backdoor way for a lobbyist to insinuate his or her 
way into a politician's inner circle.
  Published reports confirm that 71 lawmakers now list lobbyists as 
treasurers to their PACs or their campaign committees, nearly a 
fivefold increase since 1998. We need to make a clean break from this 
kind of collaboration that's fast on the rise.
  The legislation I am introducing prohibits the formation of any 
political committee by a politician if a person registered as a 
lobbyist is formally affiliated with such an entity. Alex Knott at the 
Center for Public Integrity stated in the Wall Street Journal last week 
that ``By putting a lobbyist in charge of your political operations, 
you are conflicted from the start.'' He's absolutely correct.
  Senators, House Members, their staffs and lobbyists alike ought to 
brace themselves for major change. The old rules and regulations that 
govern Washington are due for overhaul, and I believe that the two 
comprehensive leadership bills will represent a good start to that 
process. I hope my colleagues are receptive to even more stringent 
efforts, in the form of this legislation I am introducing today, and 
look forward to the full Senate debate on this issue in the coming 
months.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2233

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Lobbyist Reform Act of 
     2006''.

     SEC. 2. TWO-YEAR TOTAL BAN ON LOBBYING BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 
                   AND EMPLOYEES OF CONGRESS.

       Subsection (e) of section 207 of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended to read as follows:
       ``(e) Restrictions on Members of Congress and Officers and 
     Employees of the Legislative Branch.--
       ``(1) In general.--
       ``(A) Prohibition.--Any person who is a Member of Congress, 
     an elected officer of either House of Congress, or an 
     employee of a House of Congress and who, within 2 years after 
     that person leaves office, knowingly makes, with the intent 
     to influence, any communication to or appearance before any 
     of the persons described in subparagraph (B), on behalf of 
     any other person (except the United States) in connection 
     with any matter on which such former Member of Congress or 
     elected officer seeks action by a Member, officer, or 
     employee of either House of Congress, in his or her official 
     capacity, shall be punished as provided in section 216 of 
     this title.
       ``(B) Contact persons covered.--The persons referred to in 
     subparagraph (A) with respect to appearances or 
     communications are any Member, officer, or employee of either 
     House of Congress, and any employee of any other legislative 
     office of Congress.
       ``(2) Definitions.--As used in this subsection--
       ``(A) a person is an employee of a House of Congress if 
     that person is an employee of the Senate or an employee of 
     the House of Representatives;
       ``(B) the term `employee of the House of Representatives' 
     means an employee of a Member of the House of 
     Representatives, an employee of a committee of the House of 
     Representatives, an employee of a joint committee of Congress 
     whose pay is disbursed by the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives, and an employee on the leadership staff of 
     the House of Representatives;
       ``(C) the term `employee of the Senate' means an employee 
     of a Senator, an employee of a committee of the Senate, an 
     employee of a joint committee of Congress whose pay is 
     disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate, and an employee on 
     the leadership staff of the Senate;
       ``(D) the term `Member of Congress' means a Senator or a 
     Member of the House of Representatives; and
       ``(E) the term `Member of the House of Representatives' 
     means a Representative in,

[[Page S453]]

     or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, Congress.''.

     SEC. 3. BAN ON GIFTS FROM LOBBYISTS.

       Paragraph 1(a)(2) of rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate is amended by adding at the end the following: ``This 
     clause shall not apply to a gift from a lobbyist.''.

     SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON PRIVATELY FUNDED TRAVEL.

       Paragraph 2(a)(1) of rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate is amended by striking ``an individual'' and inserting 
     ``an organization recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is not affiliated with any 
     group that lobbies before Congress''.

     SEC. 5. REGISTERED LOBBYISTS PROHIBITED FROM SERVING ON 
                   AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEES.

       Subsection (d) of section 302 of the Federal Election 
     Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(e)) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(6) No political committee may be designated as an 
     authorized committee if a person registered as a lobbyist 
     under section 4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 is 
     formally affiliated with such committee.''.
                                 ______