Common Cause is encouraged by the US Senate's overwhelming vote for stronger ethics and lobbying reforms. Last night, the Senate voted 96-2 to approve a bill that will bring the toughest changes in those areas since the Watergate scandals of the 1970s. These reforms will help Congress leave behind some of the corruption that has tainted Capitol Hill.<\/p>
\"In recent years, far too many members have been investigated, convicted or resigned under a cloud of scandal,\" said Common Cause President Chellie Pingree, on the same day that former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) was sentenced to 30 months in jail for his involvement in a federal bribery scandal. \"Corruption in Congress was one of the biggest reasons Americans voted for change last fall. We welcome the Senate in its decision to move away from corruption and toward open, ethical government.\"<\/p>
Seg\u00fan el proyecto de ley aprobado por el Senado, los cabilderos ya no pueden ofrecer a los senadores comidas, regalos ni viajes gratuitos. Los senadores tambi\u00e9n pagar\u00e1n tarifas ch\u00e1rter para viajar en aviones corporativos, en lugar de las tarifas m\u00e1s bajas de primera clase que pagan ahora. Y los senadores deben esperar dos a\u00f1os, en lugar de uno, antes de poder ejercer presi\u00f3n sobre sus antiguos colegas.<\/p>
El proyecto de ley tambi\u00e9n quitar\u00eda las pensiones a los miembros condenados por algunos delitos y requiere que los senadores ofrezcan m\u00e1s transparencia sobre las partidas espec\u00edficas que colocan en los proyectos de ley para financiar sus proyectos favoritos.<\/p>
Lobbyists must also disclose when they \"bundle\" campaign contributions from their clients, cannot hire members' spouses or pay for the parties that take place at the presidential nominating conventions every four years.<\/p>
The bill could go further. It did not create an outside independent ethics office or commission to investigate ethics complaints or abuses. And the Senate cut out stronger disclosure requirements for grassroots organizations, which was intended to identify special-interest groups that organized fake citizens' campaigns. <\/p>
\"We like the strong reforms the Senate approved,\" Pingree said. \"But reforms are not enough. To completely get away from the corruption we've seen, Congress must police itself more seriously. The best way to do that is through an independent ethics body within Congress and through public financing of congressional elections. We will continue to push for Congress to adopt these reforms and become the honest and transparent institution Americans deserve.\"<\/p>"}}]},"yoast_head":"\n