flickr photo / Ho0n
Cross posted at The Hill’s Congress Blog
All across Denver this week at the Democratic National Convention, the congressional ethics rules designed to curtail wining and dining between lobbyist and lawmakers are taking a beating. The drinks are flowing, the meals are being served and the lobbyists are lobbying–often in a free-wheeling atmosphere reminiscent of the celebrations at disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s Signatures restaurant in Washington, D.C.
Public Citizen and others have been highlighting many of the lobbyist-sponsored parties at the conventions that seem to cross the line in violation of the new ethics rules. AT&T honored the “Blue Dog Coalition” at one party Sunday night and has another event scheduled to honor the Republican Main Street Partnership at the Republican convention next week in Minneapolis/St. Paul, despite a rule that prohibits lobbyists from hosting parties to honor “a member” of Congress at the conventions. And several lobbyists have sponsored formal dinners for lawmakers, despite the rules that ban such dinners unless they are part and parcel of an educational forum or conference and the lawmakers’ participation is part of their official duties.
Why are lobbyists and lawmakers so unconcerned about infractions of the new ethics rules? Because enforcement is virtually non-existent at the conventions.
Since the restrictions on wining and dining are congressional ethics rules, the burden for compliance rests largely with members of Congress and their staff, not lobbyists. Even though lobbyists have signed an oath that they will not encourage lawmakers to break the rules, technically making lobbyists criminally liable, it is extremely unlikely that any lobbyists will be charged with a crime for throwing a party.
Official enforcement of congressional ethics rules is the responsibility of the U.S. House and Senate ethics committees, comprosed of members themselves. Though the committees may impose penalties for violations by members and staff that range from a private letter of admonishment to expulsion from Congress for egregious violations, fewexpect any action at all from these committees. The House ethics committee has given a green light to lobbyist-sponsored parties that honor two or more members of Congress as a group, and informal advice from the Senate ethics committee has signed off on a recording industry-sponsored dinner and concert, as long as someone says something educational during the event.
When it comes to enforcement of the ethics rules concerning convention events, we cannot look with any confidence to the ethics committees. The Senate ethics committee appears more interested in protecting members than enforcing the rules. The House ethics committee will not even allow complaints by citizens against members and staff.
There is one last hope for enforcement of ethics: Public scrutiny. If the public gets disgusted with these influence peddling soirees–as indeed we all should–lawmakers may just show a little more caution in accepting invitations to party at the conventions.
Would it be too much to expect our lawmakers to do this without public pressure? What we really need is a group of members of Congress from both parties who agree to publicly boycott these lavish, industry-funded galas. Who is willing to step up to the plate?
Scottly James Burns
We The People in the U.S. need a real alternative 2nd
political party established. The NWO plutocratic one
party system ‘ two sides of the same coin ‘ have
miserably sunken US into multi-trillions of debt and
endless foriegn wars for banker profit and oil greed.
These rats will not be driven out with a ‘ stolen vote ‘
no paper trail basis. The consequences of civil war
are as disaterous as voting for the lesser evil time
after time after time. Pick our posion folks ? Either
way it will not be pleasant. I’d rather die standing
like a human being on my feet instead of a sub
human on my knees with chains on me when I die.
How about you ?
September 4, 2008 at 5:38 pm
ann Flaherty
Let’s put the blame where it really belongs- the voter. The America voter for too long has simply gone along with out questioning or taking a real interest in the politics of this country -displaying a lethargy, which I call the “Rip Van Winkle effect” that has empowered every representative that has been seated in office. Like lambs led to slaughter, while living the “good life,” we gave over our monitoring, thinking and national security to fellow Americans who we stupidly trusted in believing they, as we, were for the “Good of the People – Keep America strong – America First. Wrong!! I have watched with horror, for the last 20 years, as voters, clinging to their party’s views like unthinking robots, or some too busy to care to vote, while others pulled a lever that kept putting the same, greedy, do-nothings (there are a few exceptions-but not in my state) back into office while they have sold us and our country out to lobbyists, and foreign governments by perpetuating their own agendas, not ours and lining their pockets while American jobs, manufacturing, and national security has consistently dwindled away. Now we are in real trouble. (1)We can thank NAFTA,(under Clinton) the worst piece of anti-America legislation ever conceived by our American Congress, that no voter screamed about when being passed, is growing out of control (thanks to Bush) and threatening to embody the USA, Mexico and Canada into “Amerimexicanada,” (2)Free Trade, which is putting America last in equitable trade while we raise the likes of communist China into a great monetary power with its sub-standard products that are killing our pets and children as [it] rakes in billions of America dollars that are putting American workers jobless and on the streets (3) ‘Amnesty’ that keeps looming its ugly head – while 21 million illegal aliens are shoved down our throats, and our schools are forcing, yes forcing (did you get to vote on this?) our children to speak Spanish instead of insisting English is our language, learn to speak it; along with bankrupting the American Taxpayer for free medical care, and education (they get free college tutition before needy American families) by digging into our dwindling paychecks to the tune of Several billion dollars. We don’t need a third party of more crooks, we need to modify the behavior of the existing crooks in the two existing parties. When you recognize the representative you voted into office is not representing you but rather themselves VOTE THEM OUT. If the next jerk voted in who has pledged to be “your voice” and represent you, doesn’t adhere to the will of the people, VOTE HIM/HER OUT the next time around. Rmember it isn’t the Party – it’s the person! We will then take our country back as Congress and the Senate will know Americans have finally woken up, are keeping tabs again and we mean business.
September 8, 2008 at 12:56 am