As everyone who reads this blog know, Congressman Ford is fighting for ethics reform in Washington D.C.One of the big issues that he is pushing to reform is lobbyists gifts to lawmakers.
In the following report by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, you will see just how serious the problem is.
Cash from K Street, the hub of the capital’s lobbying industry, has flowed into the campaign coffers of lawmakers from the region in the amount of more than $1.8 million over the last decade, Federal Election Commission records show.
Political scholars said the donations are part of a growing money pipeline between lawmakers and lobbyists, while lawmakers said the donations don’t buy special treatment.
"I don’t know who gives me money, period," said U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga.
Overall, individual lobbyists gave more than $26.1 million in direct contributions to 2004 congressional campaigns. For the 1990 elections that figure was $2.8 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Among regional lawmakers, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.,R - Ala RAla., took in the most money from 1995 to 2005 at $472,159, while Rep. William Jenkins, R-Tenn., took in the least with $9,074, records show.
Alex Knott, the head of research on lobbyists at the Center for Public Integrity, said even those figures are understated. He said about one-third of lobbyists work inhouse on the payrolls of com- panies where they can direct significant funds from an organization to campaigns.
Massie Ritsch with the Center for Responsive Politics said lobbyists, like everyone else, are limited in the amount of money they can contribute at $2,000, but even independent lobbyists can funnel cash from their clients to candidates.
"The lobbyist represents just the tip of the iceberg," he said. "Behind every lobbyist is a stable of clients, and it all adds up to far more than the lobbyist can give."
BUYING ACCESS Candace Nelson, head of the government department at American University, said lobbyists give money to buy access to members.
"They are more likely to return phone calls to people who give them money," Dr. Nelson said.
Area lawmakers disagree.
Rep. Harold Ford, D- Tenn., said he doesn’t separate phone calls from those who give and those who don’t.
Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said there are so many lobbyists he doesn’t keep track of them.
"I try to keep lobbyists out of my office as often as I can because they take up too much time," he said. "The person in the district has more influence on me than the lobbyist in Washington."
Lobbyists are under scrutiny in the aftermath of the corruption scandal surrounding former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Both chambers of Congress have unveiled sweeping lobbying reforms that will be debated this month.
While Mr. Abramoff gave about $200,000 to candidates, his Indian tribe clients donated more than $43.3 million, Mr. Ritsch said.
"Fund raising has become part of the job description for lobbyists," Mr. Ritsch said.
Mr. Knott said there is nothing illegal about the donations, but he added the lobbyist cash could be considered different from that of the typical donor because the lobbyist is paid to promote or oppose legislation.
"The sole purpose of a lobbyist is to influence lawmakers," Mr. Knott said. "That is their entire job."
He said the increase in lobbying donations has occurred alongside an increase in lobbyist salaries. Clients spent $1.4 billion on lobbyists in 1998 and $2.1 billion in 2004, Mr. Knott said.
TARGETING MONEY Because lobbyists study the issues, they know exactly where to target their money, he said. As a result, lobbying donations also tend to go to incumbents rather than challengers, Mr. Knott said.
"They are in position to dole out favors while challengers are not," Mr. Knott said.
Some organizations advocate lowering the individual contribution limit of lobbyists. But ethics reform bills now being debated in both chambers do not go this far.
"Lobbyists should be able to participate in the process like everyone else," Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said.
Rep. Ford said he doubts limiting lobbyist gifts would survive scrutiny by the Supreme Court.
"You can ban gifts and ban privately funded trips without trampling on any constitutional rights," Rep. Ford said. "But I don’t see how you say to someone, ‘If you work someplace, you can’t give.’"
Lawmakers said that greater disclosure is needed so voters can identify quickly and easily who is contributing to their representative’s campaign.
"Transparency is the greatest antiseptic to mischief," Rep. Wamp said.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the lobbying reform bill being considered in the Senate specifically addresses lobbyist campaign contributions.
"It requires lobbyists to annually disclose contributions to individual candidates, PACs and political party committees as well as any fund-raising events they host," Sen. Frist said.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.,R - Tenn RTenn., said the influx of lobbying donations is a symptom of a greater problem.
"Campaigns have become too expensive, and candidates spend too much time raising money," he said. "This problem needs to be addressed."
Rep. Ford said it is "tragic how much time I have to spend raising money."
Because of this, Dr. Nelson said the upswing in lobbyist donations shows no signs of abating.
"It will continue to be business as usual because members of Congress need money to run for office," she said.
Once again this shows the seriousness of the ethical problem in Washington D.C.
John Boehner has already said he is against ethics reform, however, reform has to take place with or without him.
I am proud Congressman Ford is leading the way!
Read about Congressman Ford's actions on ethics reform here! (1 , 2, 3)
Read about John Boehner's views opposing ethics reform here!
Read about John Boehner's broken promises regarding ethics reform here!
