[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 37 (Monday, September 17, 2007)]
[Pages 1209-1210]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 
2007

September 14, 2007

    Today I signed into law S. 1, the ``Honest Leadership and Open 
Government Act of 2007.'' This bill represents some progress towards 
ethics, lobbying, and earmark reform, all of which I strongly support. 
Strengthening the ethical standards that govern lobbying activities and 
beginning to address meaningful earmark reform are necessary steps to 
provide the public with a more transparent lawmaking process. The 
essence of successful ethics reform is not laws and restrictions, but 
full disclosure. The legislation includes minimal improvements in the 
area of disclosure, both for lobbying and earmarks. But there

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is still more to be done, and I will work with the Congress to improve 
upon this legislation.
    For example, the bill holds Members of the Senate and Executive 
Branch employees to a much higher standard of conduct than Members of 
the House. The specific bill language is confusing, and I believe these 
increased restrictions would have a negative impact on recruitment and 
retention of Federal employees. I urge the Congress to make these 
standards more uniform and less confusing and to do so in a way that 
will not discourage public service.
    In addition, this bill would have the effect of unreasonably 
burdening sitting President's and Vice President's reelection campaigns. 
I look forward to working with Congress to amend these provisions to 
provide a reasonable process for allocating the cost of Presidential and 
Vice Presidential campaign travel that is consistent with security 
needs.
    I am pleased that the Congress has begun to make progress in 
bringing greater transparency to the earmarking process. However, this 
bill falls far short of the reform that American taxpayers deserve. I am 
concerned that there are potential loopholes in some of the earmark 
reforms included in this bill that would allow earmarks to escape 
sufficient scrutiny. This legislation also does not address other 
earmark reforms I have called on Congress to implement, such as ending 
the practice of putting earmarks in report language.
    I thank members of both parties who worked on this legislation and 
look forward to working with the Congress to further advance ethics, 
lobbying, and earmark reform.

Note: S. 1, approved September 14, was assigned Public Law 110-81.