Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) released the following statement on the Senate’s passage today of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.
“Americans changed the Senate so we would change Washington – and today we’ve done just that, passing sweeping legislation to reform ethics and lobbying rules that represents the most far-reaching such change in a generation.
“Rhode Islanders, and all Americans, deserve to know that they – not the special interests – are in charge of their government. I’m proud that Democrats in the Senate acted today to make that promise a reality.”
This bill will put tough limits on gifts from lobbyists, strengthen requirements for lobbyists to disclose their activities, and slow down the “revolving door” so former senators and their staffs who choose to become lobbyists must wait longer before beginning to lobby their former colleagues. It will also increase transparency in the legislative process, mandating – for the first time ever – that earmarks in legislation and their sponsors be publicly identified.
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