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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D–Portland) and Greg Walden (R–Hood River) today introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at the critical, but often overlooked, aspect of ethics and lobbying in the Congress – oversight of conduct and rules.
“Both Congressman Walden and I are elected officials who grew up in the Oregon tradition of a small state legislature where political openness and integrity of public service is prized,” Blumenauer said. “As a result, we are pained both by the recent revelations in Congress of wrongdoing and the inability of the Congressional ethics process to operate effectively.”
“It is critical that we establish a system in which the ethics process can work responsibly, efficiently and impartially,” said Walden. “While most Members of Congress conduct our business with integrity and the utmost respect for both the process and the rules, there is still a need for outside oversight. When it comes down to it, we simply don’t have the time or – frankly – the objectivity to provide the necessary oversight over our colleagues.”
The Ethics Reform Act of 2006 would establish an Independent Ethics Commission consisting of eleven former Members of Congress – five selected by each the Speaker of the House and the House Minority Leader, and 1 selected by the other 10 members of the Commission. Commission members, who would be compensated on a per diem basis, must have completed their last term in Congress at least two years prior to joining the Commission.
Walden and Blumenauer are seeking an independently staffed Ethics Commission with a director who would ensure that staff members fulfill all of the functions currently performed by the staff of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. The executive director would serve for a seven-year term and could be reappointed only once.
Any recommendations of the Independent Ethics Commission beyond advisory opinions, letters of reproval and admonishment would go to the full House of Representatives. Actions that fall short of official discipline would not require action of the full House.
The Lobbying Disclosure Act will be brought under the jurisdiction of the Independent Ethics Commission. The Commission will review the filings of lobbyists and post lobbyist fillings online quarterly.
Walden and Blumenauer invite members of the press to join them at 3:30 PM PST for a conference call in which they will discuss the legislation and answer questions. Radio stations are welcome to record the call. For call-in information, please contact Angela Wilhelms at angela.wilhelms@mail.house.gov (preferred) or (202) 226-7338.
More information on the Ethics Reform Act will be available shortly on the web at http://thomas.loc.gov.
Congressman Walden represents the Second Congressional District of Oregon; Congressman Blumenauer represents the Third Congressional District of Oregon. Both are former members of the Oregon State Legislature. |
