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For Immediate Release
December 16, 2005 |
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McCain, Shays Introduce
Lobby Disclosure Legislation
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
and Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT) introduced legislation
to increase disclosure of lobbying activities in Washington.
“An informed citizenry is essential to a thriving democracy.
And, a democratic government operates best in the disinfecting
light of the public eye,” McCain said. “The approach
on this bill is thus one of greater disclosure of and transparency
into the interactions of lobbyists with our public officials.”
“Sunshine tends to have a cleansing effect. That is
why Senator McCain and I decided to introduce legislation
to increase disclosure of lobbying practices for full view
by the press and public,” Shays said. “Given Americans’
growing concern about Congressional ethics, the time is right
for action to regain the public’s trust.”
The bill:
- requires more frequent disclosures of lobbying activities,
including grassroots lobbying campaigns, campaign and other
contributions, and payments by lobbyists;
- requires the information to be available online, making
the entire landscape of lobbying activities available to the
press and public;
- requires lobbyists to disclose their involvement in travel
by Members and staff;
- requires lobbyists to report gifts to Members and staff
over $20 in value to be reported;
- doubles the amount of time during which a former Member
of Congress and their senior staff, and senior Executive Branch
personnel, are restricted from lobbying Congress;
- clarifies that the revolving door laws apply to outside
lobbyists retained by Indian tribes;
- requires Members to notify the Clerk of the House or Secretary
of the Senate if they are negotiating employment which may
create a conflict of interest;
- requires Members to pay the fair market value of charter
flights for flights on private planes;
- requires Members to file detailed reports of meetings,
tours, events or outings they participated in while on official
travel;
- requires the Ethics Committee to develop guidelines on
what is a “reasonable expenditure” on official
travel; and
- determines that the face value of a ticket to a sporting
or entertainment event is the fair market value and, in
the case of tickets without values, such as skybox tickets,
the value is the face value of the highest-priced seat in
the arena.
Contact: Sarah Moore,
202/225-5541
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