Congressman Mike Ross, Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas



Volume 5, Issue 3,
January 20, 2006
Weekly Newsletter



 



 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE


 
Lobbying Reform: Cleaning Up Washington


 
In light of recent accusations and indictments of federal lobbyists and sitting Members of Congress, our nation is faced with revamping current laws that regulate federal lobbyists and their relationships with elected officials.  I truly believe most lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle, are inherently good people and travel to Washington, D.C. every week to represent their constituency, be the voice of the American people, and abide by the laws in place that regulate the relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists.  Sadly, as indicated by recent events, some lobbyists and lawmakers consider themselves above the law.  As your Representative in our nation’s capital, I remain steadfast in my commitment to create an environment of good government and to clean up Washington.  

Over a decade ago, the United States Congress completely overhauled the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and the new law provided for more concrete definitions of both lobbyist and lobbying activities.  Unfortunately, in recent months and weeks, it has come to the surface that some lawmakers and lobbyists have broken these laws.  

On Wednesday afternoon, the Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives laid out an excellent start to combat the issues at hand.  Entitled, ‘Honest Leadership, Open Government,’ the proposal details important reforms to current law and would facilitate transparency in our system of government and put an end to the culture of corruption in the wake of the lobbying scandals facing our government.  Specifically, the proposal puts an immediate stop to gifts such as meals, domestic and international travel, and tickets to sporting, recreational, and entertainment events paid for by lobbyists under the guise of official business.  The ‘Honest Government, Open Leadership,’ plan mandates an extension from one to two years the time period between which lawmakers, senior Congressional staff, and Executive Branch officials are allowed to lobby their former employers.  Additionally, this proposal requires that conference committee meetings be open to the public, as committee hearings and markup of committee legislation are, and that members of the exclusive conference committee publicly cast their vote.  All too often in Washington, when a committee meets in conference to iron out differences between a House and Senate version of a bill, meetings and votes are held in secret and are so exclusive that many members of the conference committee are locked out of important aspects of the decision making process.  This proposal also demands that Members of Congress have at least 24 hours to review conference reports before they must cast a vote.  

As legislation makes its way to a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives, I will work with my colleagues to ensure greater transparency in our nation’s political system.  As your Representative in the United States Congress, I am committed to demanding honest leadership and open government from this Congress and ending the culture of corruption that has unfortunately surfaced in our nation’s capital.  Furthermore, I will fight for reforms that clean up Washington, create an environment of good government, and demand the toughest of penalties for those who have broken the law and violated the trust of the American public.



 



 
Ross Statement re: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.



 
(PRESCOTT, AR) – U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (AR-04) issued the following statement regarding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 
“On Monday, we remember, and celebrate, the life and lessons taught to us by one of America’s greatest pioneers and champions of civil rights - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It’s been 77 years since Dr. King was born. And though he is no longer with us today in person, his spirit is, and his actions continue to inspire the young and old alike throughout America and around the world. 

“Dr. King left us with a legacy of enduring lessons - lessons about courage, integrity, decency, fairness, honesty, and equal rights for all people.  He provided those lessons not just through his memorable speeches, but also more importantly through deed and action.  Dr. King inspired the world and led by example. 

“Dr. King once wrote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ and he was right.  The presence of injustice puts us and our ideals in jeopardy.  Dr. King gave his life fighting for justice and I believe we should carry out that legacy. 

“We have much to learn from Dr. King.  He taught us that no matter who we are or where we come from, we are all capable of achieving great things, even when faced with overwhelming obstacles.  Dr. King led a lifetime of relentless perseverance to achieve the ultimate goal - equality among all races – and pursued his quest through an unyielding dedication to non-violence.  He was assassinated for daring to dream - daring to dream that all of us could live in a land free of segregation - a land blind to the color of a person’s skin. 

“In 1994, Congress passed a law that mandated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a day of service, thus making it, 'A day on, not off.' As we honor his dream and reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, we must take a look at our own lives – are we people of action?  Do we lead by example?  I implore upon you; don’t just passively remember Dr. King this weekend.  Be proactive.  I invite you to seek out activities in your community that celebrate his legacy, and share his story with your children so that we can help everyone to live out the vision of his dream.  I urge you to visit www.mlkday.gov/grantees/06projectsites_location.asp and find a service project near you. 

“It is with tremendous respect and admiration that I salute Dr. King for all he stood for and all he did to forever change America for the better.”


 




 
Please Contact Mike at 
1-800-223-2220 
mike.ross@mail.house.gov or
www.house.gov/ross



 


 

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