Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) voted today for legislation to end corruption and restore ethics in Washington.
Etheridge voted for S. 1, The Honest Leadership, Open Government Act of 2007, a package of reforms to break the link between lobbyists and legislators by providing greater transparency and accountability.
“The ongoing corruption scandals in the U.S. House and Senate threaten the bonds between the American people and their elected leaders. Public office is a public trust, and this legislation will restore honesty and integrity to the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Etheridge.
The legislation will provide greater transparency of lobbyists’ activities by requiring lobbyists who collect checks for Members’ campaigns to report this practice. It will also require lobbyists to file disclosure reports four times a year, instead of two. The bill increases criminal and civil penalties for violating the Lobby Disclosure Act to $200,000 and five years in prison.
The bill also seeks to avoid conflicts of interest by requiring sitting members of Congress to disclose job negotiations for post-Congressional employment and to recuse themselves if there is a conflict. The bill establishes a public database of Members’ travel and personal financial disclosure forms.
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 will also deny taxpayer-funded pension benefits to Members of Congress who are convicted of corruption while serving the American people.