Will Lobbying Policy Change?

Speaking at a panel hosted by George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, Norm Eisen the special counsel to President Obama for ethics and government reform indicated that the administration is open to suggestions for modifications. According to RollCall [1] ($$), Eisen said this week that, "there is a process" in place for enforcing the new lobbying rules. Eisen defended both the new limits on hiring lobbyists, and the limits on communications by lobbyists about the use of Recovery Act funds.

Considering the restrictions simply allow those who avoid Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) registration requirements to be free of any disclosure when they seek Recovery Act funding, some are hopeful that the policy could be amended after the 60-day review period is up. The Sunlight Foundation [2] notes: "There seems to be little debate, however over whether the LDA is a sufficient vehicle for lobbying regulation. It isn't. The LDA requirements are easily skirted, enforcement is lax, and many terms are insufficiently defined."

For more, read this article [3] from the latest Watcher.