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Lobbying and Ethics
Reform Blog
Friday, November 09, 2007
Another Bump In the Road to Implement new Ethics Law
BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that after a decline in privately sponsored travel by members of Congress, sponsors have now increased their spending, paying to send lawmakers to conferences and on fact-finding trips. The article examines how the new rules have affected some of the biggest private sponsors of congressional travel, including the nonprofit Aspen Institute and the American Israel Education Foundation (AEIF). As it turns out, both suggest that the new rules have increased attendance at their events. Yet many members will continue to hesitate before accepting trips from groups that could be linked to lobbying interests.
Kent Cooper, a disclosure expert and former Federal Election Commission official who closely monitors reports on congressional travel, told BNA: "The August recess gave several organizations the opportunity to switch strategies and fund several major trips that included a large number of members." The sponsors and lawmakers were reassured by new procedures requiring sponsors to get pre-approval from the House ethics committee before each trip, ensuring that the trip complies with the rules, he said.
Eventually the approval of the trips will be available online. A part of the new law requires the House to set up an online database with travel information by August 2008 and a similar database for Senators is required by January. The Senate Ethics Committee is expected to announce by Nov. 13 whether the new travel rules will go into effect on that date or will be delayed. Until then, senators and staff can continue travel without pre-approval and without the new limits on travel sponsorship.
Posted by Amanda Adams
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