Thursday, July 19, 2007

Lobbying and Ethics -- a Conference-Free Zone?

The Congressional Democratic leadership, no doubt exasperated over GOP holds blocking the lobbying and ethics bill from going to conference -- months after overwhelming passage by both houses -- now apparently plans to circumvent the bill's conference process entirely.

Said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): "I've done everything but get on my knees and beg for [a conference]."

Presumably, the House would vote on a substitute to the Senate version, S. 1, under a closed rule limiting or barring amendments, and the Senate would receive a "message" from the House, Reid would fill the amendment tree, file for cloture and, if that succeeds, proceed to a vote. Reid has said he wants to send the bill to the president before the August recess begins in two weeks.

To be determined -- or made public -- is the content of the bill. Of particular interest would be the outcome of the revolving door provision. Current law and the House version provide for a cooling-off period barring former members and staffers from lobbying Congress for one year; the Senate version calls for a two-year period. There is some speculation that a House-Senate 'compromise' would provide for different cooling-off periods regarding lobbying the two houses.