Fact
Sheet From U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
July 31, 2007
The Honest Leadership and Open Government
Act, which the House and Senate will vote on this week, is
landmark lobbying and ethics reform legislation. It includes
many provisions that were contained in or are based on Sen.
Feingold’s original bill, which was introduced in July 2005
(S. 1398), and/or the bill introduced by Senators Feingold
and Obama in January 2007 (S. 230).
Banning Lobbyists’ Gifts
and Curbing Privately Funded Travel
- Prohibits lobbyists and organizations that retain or employ
lobbyists from giving gifts to Senators or staff. Includes
exceptions for family members and personal friends, campaign
contributions and informational materials.
- Requires Senators, Senate campaigns, and presidential campaigns
to reimburse for the use of corporate jets at the charter
rate rather than the first class airfare as is now required.
- Limits privately funded travel paid for by groups that lobby
to one-day events with minimal lobbyist involvement. Only
organizations that do not employ or retain lobbyists can pay
for multi-day trips. Pre-approval by the Ethics Committee
for all privately funded travel is required and all travel
reports will be publicly disclosed on the Internet.
- Prohibits lobbyists and entities that retain or employ
lobbyists from throwing lavish parties honoring members
at the party conventions.
Slowing the Revolving
Door
- Increases the cooling-off period for Senators and very senior
executive branch personnel from one to two years.
- Expands the ban on former senior Senate staff making lobbying
contacts to cover contacts with the entire Senate, rather
than just with the staff’s employing office as under current
law.
- Requires lobbyists to disclose on their lobbying registrations
previous employment within the past 20 years with the executive
or legislative branch, rather than only such employment within
two years prior to acting as a lobbyist.
- Prohibits Members from engaging in negotiations for future
employment as a lobbyist until after their replacement has
been named. Requires senior staff to disclose negotiations
for any future employment to the Ethics Committee and obtain
guidance on avoiding possible conflicts of interest.
- Provides that floor privileges, gym membership, and members-only
parking shall not be available to former Senators who are
registered lobbyists.
- Prohibits the staff of a Senator from having any official
contact with that Senator’s spouse or family members who
are registered lobbyists.
Improving Lobbying Disclosure
- Requires lobbying disclosure reports to be filed quarterly
rather than semi-annually, and requires electronic filing
and Internet searchable databases to improve public accessibility.
- Requires disclosure of members of lobbying coalitions.
- Requires lobbyists to disclose political contributions they
make and donations to presidential libraries, inaugural committees,
charities associated with, and events to honor Members of
Congress.
- Requires electronic filing lobbying disclosure reports.
Strengthening Open Government
in the Senate
- Eliminates secret holds.
- Requires conference reports to be available on the Internet
for Senators and the public at least 48 hours prior to their
being considered in the Senate.
- Provides a point of order against “out of scope matters” in
a conference report that were in neither the House or Senate
versions of a bill. 60 votes are required to waive this point
of order.
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