Rep. Cole Votes for Accountability and Transparency in Lobby Bill

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole voted today for the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (H.R. 4975), the most comprehensive lobbying reform bill passed in over a decade. This legislation has already passed in the Senate and will now go to a conference committee between the House and the Senate.

"Today the House approved a lobby reform package that makes a genuine effort to increase transparency and accountability in congressional activities and restore the confidence of the American people in their elected representatives. This important piece of legislation will hold members of Congress and those they work with to the highest standards while ensuring that Americans can still effectively petition the government – a constitutionally protected right,” Congressman Cole said.

"The Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 is comprehensive bill that is the result of the input from members on both sides of the aisle and outside experts. Five House committees worked to ensure this bill is both legitimate and effective. It may not be perfect, but it is a good start," Congressman Cole said.

Congressman Cole offered an amendment on the House floor to the lobby reform bill that will require the Ethics Committee to review and approve each privately funded trip request by a two-thirds vote of its committee members. The amendment also requires the ethics committee to formally review current House travel procedures and develop a permanent plan governing future private travel by June 15, 2006.

"I believe this amendment strikes a good balance by increasing the scrutiny of any privately funded trip, while still allowing members to attend trips that are educational or pertain to their individual districts," Congressman Tom Cole said.

The Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006:

Strengthens lobbyist disclosure requirements and the frequency of filings by creating an online database at the fingertips of the American people.
Requires members of Congress to forfeit retirement benefits if convicted of bribery, including conspiracy charges
Ensures that members cannot condition official acts based on the employment decision of an outside entity or private business
Seeks to curtail the number of Member appropriation projects by enhancing transparency. The new system for appropriation requests is already working. Appropriation requests are down 37% from last year.

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