[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E459-E461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE FULL DISCLOSURE IN LOBBYING ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2006

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that 
would strengthen third-party lobbying disclosure requirements contained 
in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, P.L. 104-65. Specifically, the 
legislation I have introduced today would amend Section 5(b) of the 
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1604(b), by first making a 
series of technical corrections and then by adding new language to 
require that specific information be disclosed when a registrant is 
retained to engage in lobbying activities on behalf of a third party. 
This legislation would require that the identity of, the contact 
information for, and the amounts paid by that third party for the 
registrant's services be disclosed on the registrant's semiannual 
financial disclosure reports filed with the Clerk of the House and the 
Secretary of the Senate pursuant to Section 5 of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act. The intent of this legislation is to enhance current 
law by making the practice of third-party lobbying activities more 
transparent.
  Section 4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act requires that a lobbyist 
list the name, address, and principal place of business of any 
organization, other than the client, that contributes more than $10,000 
toward the registrant's lobbying activities in a semiannual period, or 
and in whole or in major part plans, supervises, or controls such 
lobbying activities. The changes to the Lobbying Disclosure Act 
proposed by my legislation would reinforce existing Section 4 
disclosure provisions. These changes would require the reporting of a 
third, or subsequent degree, contractual relationship between a 
lobbyist and a client pursuant to Section 5 of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act.
  The authors of the Lobbying Disclosure Act understood that accurate 
reporting of the identity of participants in third-party lobbying 
activities is important to transparency. In fact, the Committee on the 
Judiciary expressed its views on Section 4(b)(3) in House Report 104-
339, describing that current law ``is intended to preclude evasion of 
the disclosure requirements of the Act through the creation of ad hoc 
lobbying coalitions behind which real parties in interest can hide.'' 
Recent media reports reveal that third-party lobbying activities have 
been arranged to evade the Lobbying Disclosure Act.
  The registration and financial disclosure reports required by 
Sections 4 and 5 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act should both capture the 
contractual lobbying relationships entered into by registrants and 
their clients. Current law requires that registrants declare third-
party contractual lobbying relationships on their Section 4 
registration reports. However, Section 5 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act 
does not specifically require the disclosure of the details of third-
party contractual lobbying activities. The legislation I have 
introduced today would close this loophole. This legislation enhances 
current law and will bring further transparency and accountability to 
lobbying activities.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Full Disclosure in Lobbying Act. 
It is my hope that this legislation will be enacted, and its merits 
will be reviewed as the House considers lobbying reform legislation.

[[Page E460]]

                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Thursday, March 30, 2006 may be found in the 
Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                                MARCH 31
     9:30 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings to examine the call to censure the 
           President.
                                                            SD-226
     10 a.m.
       Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine the nominations of Uttam 
           Dhillon, of California, to be Director of the Office of 
           Counternarcotics Enforcement, Department of Homeland 
           Security, and Mark D. Acton, of Kentucky, to be a 
           Commissioner of the Postal Rate Commission.
                                                            SD-342

                                APRIL 3
     9:30 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings to examine immigration.
                                                            SD-226

                                APRIL 4
     9:30 a.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
         To hold hearings to examine how Congress might go about 
           creating a program to control U.S. greenhouse gas 
           emissions.
                                                            SD-G50
     10 a.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
       Aviation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine Federal Aviation 
           Administration funding options.
                                                            SD-562
       Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine a current assessment of money 
           laundering and terrorist financing threats and 
           countermeasures.
                                                            SD-538
       Finance
         To hold hearings to examine the cost of tax preparation.
                                                            SD-215
       Armed Services
       Strategic Forces Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine missile defense programs in 
           review of the defense authorization request for fiscal 
           year 2007.
                                                            SD-138
     2:30 p.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
         To continue hearings to examine how Congress might go 
           about creating a program to control U.S. greenhouse gas 
           emissions.
                                                            SD-G50
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings to examine the current situation in 
           Iraq.
                                                            SD-106
       Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
       Housing and Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine reform of FHA's Title I 
           Manufactured Housing Loan Programs.
                                                            SD-538
       Armed Services
       Personnel Subcommittee
         To resume hearings to examine health benefits and 
           programs in review of the defense authorization request 
           for fiscal year 2007.
                                                           SR-232A
       Intelligence
         To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence 
           matters.
                                                            SH-219
     3:30 p.m.
       Armed Services
       SeaPower Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine the posture of the U.S. 
           Transportation Command in review of the defense 
           authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the 
           future years defense program.
                                                            SR-222

                                APRIL 5
     9:30 a.m.
       Armed Services
       Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine Department of Defense's role 
           in combating terrorism in review of the defense 
           authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the 
           future years defense program; to be followed by a 
           closed session.
                                                            SR-222
       Environment and Public Works
         To hold hearings to examine the nominations of Richard 
           Capka, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the 
           Federal Highway Administration, and James B. Gulliford, 
           of Missouri, to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic 
           Substances, and William Ludwig Wehrum, Jr., of 
           Tennessee, to be an Assistant Administrator, both of 
           the Environmental Protection Agency.
                                                            SD-628
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings to examine the Indian separation plan 
           and the administration's related legislative proposal, 
           relating to U.S.-India atomic energy cooperation.
                                                            SH-216
       Indian Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine the problem of 
           methamphetamine in Indian country.
                                                            SR-485
     10 a.m.
       Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
       Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine all hazards medical response.
                                                            SD-430
       Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine S. 2459, to improve cargo 
           security.
                                                            SD-342
     10:30 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Legislative Branch Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for 
           fiscal year 2007 for the Sergeant at Arms and U.S. 
           Capitol Police Board.
                                                            SD-138
     2 p.m.
       Appropriations
       Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies 
           Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for 
           fiscal year 2007 for the Department of Justice.
                                                            SD-192
     2:30 p.m.
       Foreign Relations
       European Affairs Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine Islamist extremism in Europe.
                                                            SD-419
       Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
       Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
           International Security Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine museums and Federal funding, 
           focusing on the various avenues of Federal funding for 
           museums including authorized programs, grantmaking 
           agencies and earmarks.
                                                            SD-342
       Energy and Natural Resources
       Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine the 2005 wildfire season and 
           the Federal land management agencies' preparations for 
           the 2006 wildfire season.
                                                            SD-366
       Intelligence
         Closed business meeting to consider pending calendar 
           business.
                                                            SH-219
     3 p.m.
       Armed Services
       Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine improving contractor 
           incentives in review of the defense authorization 
           request for fiscal year 2007.
                                                            SR-222

                                APRIL 6
     10 a.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
       National Ocean Policy Study Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine offshore aquaculture, 
           focusing on current proposals to regulate offshore 
           aquaculture operations, discuss research in this field 
           being conducted off the coasts of New England and 
           Hawaii, and the impacts that expanded aquaculture 
           operations would have on fishermen, seafood processors, 
           and consumers.
                                                            SD-562
     2:30 p.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
       National Parks Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine S. 1510, to designate as 
           wilderness certain lands within the Rocky Mountain 
           National Park in the State of Colorado, S. 1719 and 
           H.R. 1492, bills to provide for the preservation of the 
           historic confinement sites where Japanese Americans 
           were detained during World War II, S. 1957, to 
           authorize the Secretary of Interior to convey to The 
           Missouri River

[[Page E461]]

           Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor 
           Center Foundation, Inc. certain Federal land associated 
           with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in 
           Nebraska, to be used as an historical interpretive site 
           along the trail, S. 2034 and H.R. 394, bills to direct 
           the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to 
           evaluate the significance of the Colonel James Barrett 
           Farm in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and assess 
           the suitability and feasibility of including the farm 
           in the National Park System as part of the Minute Man 
           National Historical Park, S. 2252, to designate the 
           National Museum of Wildlife Art, located at 2820 
           Rungius Road, Jackson, Wyoming, as the National Museum 
           of Wildlife Art of the United States, and S. 2403, to 
           authorize the Secretary of the Interior to include in 
           the boundaries of the Grand Teton National Park land 
           and interests in land of the GT Park Subdivision.
                                                            SD-366
       Intelligence
         To receive a closed briefing regarding certain 
           intelligence matters.
                                                            SH-219
     3:30 p.m.
       Armed Services
       Strategic Forces Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine military space programs in 
           review of the defense authorization request for fiscal 
           year 2007.
                                                            SR-222

                                APRIL 26
     10 a.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
       Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine fostering innovation in math 
           and science education.
                                              Room to be announced
     10:30 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Legislative Branch Subcommittee
         To resume hearings to examine the progress of 
           construction on the Capitol Visitor Center.
                                                            SD-138

                                 MAY 3
     10:30 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Legislative Branch Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for 
           fiscal year 2007 for the Government Printing Office, 
           Congressional Budget Office, and Office of Compliance.
                                                            SD-138

                                 MAY 17
     10 a.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
       Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine accelerating the adoption of 
           health information technology.
                                              Room to be announced

                                 MAY 24
     10:30 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Legislative Branch Subcommittee
         To resume hearings to examine the progress of 
           construction on the Capitol Visitor Center.
                                                            SD-138

                                JUNE 14
     10 a.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
       Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine alternative energy 
           technologies.
                                              Room to be announced