OMB Watch Statements

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Lobbying Reform & Government Ethics

OMB Watch Statements

Statements

OMB Watch Urges Senate to "Get It Done" on Lobbying and Ethics Reform 08/01/2007
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2007—OMB Watch today urged the Senate to follow the House's lead and ensure that lobbying and ethics reform legislation, known as S. 1, is passed before Congress's August recess. Read More

OMB Watch Joins the Call to Move Lobby Reform Legislation Forward 07/11/2007
WASHINGTON, July 11, 2007—OMB Watch joins with the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen, U.S. PIRG and other organizations in strongly condemning current efforts to block the Senate from going to conference on lobbying and ethics reform legislation, which the Senate passed in January. Read More

Citizens Have a Right to Know About Lobbying Efforts 05/16/2007
By Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch
Published in the May 16, 2007 edition of Roll Call
In a May 10 Roll Call Guest Observer ("Citizens Don't Need 'Protection' From Lobbying"), Douglas Johnson and Caroline Fredrickson posed a question: "Do ordinary citizens need to be protected from groups that may urge them to contact their elected Representatives in Congress about some pending bill?" The authors were referring to H.R. 2093, the latest proposal to shine a light on who is behind big-money, federal grass-roots lobbying expenditures. Read More

OMB Watch Urges House to Support Disclosure of Grassroots Lobbying Expenditures 05/10/2007
On May 8, OMB Watch sent a letter to the House of Representatives, urging members to support the disclosure of federal grassroots lobbying expenditures. The letter stresses that disclosure of funding sources, particularly those behind big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, is a critical element in rooting out corruption and establishing a system that creates public trust. Read More

Look closely at the grassroots 03/19/2007
By Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch
Published in the March 19, 2007 edition of The Hill
We see and hear the ads all the time: "Call your senators today and tell them to oppose this bill!" Have you ever wondered where those messages come from, who pays for them and who creates them? Sometimes, the groups sponsoring the television commercials, newspaper spreads, or evening phone calls will come right out and tell you exactly who they are. Often, however, those behind such communications, called grassroots lobbying, don't provide us with the information we need to figure out who the messenger really is. Read More

Distortions and Misinformation Continue to Abound in Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure Debate 03/07/2007
WASHINGTON, March 7, 2007—Public statements by opponents of grassroots lobbying disclosure, which would bring transparency to big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, have misled Americans by inaccurately claiming that potential proposals are intended to silence criticism of Congress and are "a plot by Washington insiders" to shut out diverse viewpoints. Read More

Opponents of Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure are Wrong about Impact on Nonprofits 01/12/2007
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2007—Public statements by some opponents of a provision in S. 1, the Senate ethics and lobby reform bill that would bring transparency to big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, have misled many nonprofits into believing the proposal is an effort to silence criticism of Congress and a plot by liberals to keep conservative viewpoints from being heard. Read More

Sign-On Letter in Support of Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure 03/24/2006
A group of 28 national, state and local organizations signed onto a letter supporting grassroots lobbying disclosure. Would your organization like to sign on? If so, email ombwatch@ombwatch.org. Read More

OMB Watch Letter to the Senate on Grassroots Lobbying and Coalition Disclosure 03/08/2006
Read More

Lobby Reform & Grassroots Lobby Disclosure: Good for Nonprofits 02/28/2006
Lobby and ethics reform discussions in Congress could prove to be a significant opportunity to level the current uneven playing field, where wealthy interests have inordinate access to lawmakers and voice in public policy debate. Successful reforms would change this dynamic, giving individuals and groups lacking enormous resources, like most nonprofit organizations, a more equal chance of being heard. Read More

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