The best and
worst of Congress were on display today in the Government
Reform Committee, as the Committee unanimously approved,
32-0, a
bipartisan
bill
containing landmark reforms of the executive branch
on the same day that it also approved legislation containing
the sham reforms of Congress written by the Republican
leadership.
Specifically, the Executive Branch Reform Act of 2006
(H.R. 5112) would:
- End Secret Meetings Between Lobbyists and
Executive Branch Officials. The legislation
stops the practice of secret meetings between lobbyists
and Executive Branch officials by requiring all political
appointees and senior officials in federal agencies
and the White House to report the contacts they have
with lobbyists and other private parties seeking to
influence official government action.
- Close the Revolving Door Between Lobbyists
and Government. For the first time, the legislation
creates a federal ban to prevent lobbyists who enter
government from handing out favors to their former
clients. Under the bill, lobbyists and executives
appointed to high government positions will be deemed
to have a prohibited conflict of interest if they
take official actions affecting their former clients
or employers within two years of entering government.
- Close the Revolving Door Between Contractors
and Government. For the first time, executives
who worked for private contractors will be barred
from awarding contracts to their former employers
when they enter government. The bill also closes multiple
loopholes in the law governing when government procurement
officials can be hired by companies to whom they awarded
contracts.
- Provide Protection to National Security
Whistleblowers. The legislation would enact
whistleblower protections for national security personnel.
Currently, federal employees who work on national
security issues have no effective recourse if they
are the victims of retaliation after disclosing abuses.
The bill would give these national security officials
protections equivalent to those that other federal
employees have.
- End the Use of “Pseudo-Classifications.”
The bill advances the cause of open government by
eliminating the use of unregulated “pseudo-classifications”
such as “sensitive but unclassified” or
“for official use only.” The legislation
would require the development of regulations and standards
governing the use of any information control designations
by federal agencies.
- Ban Covert Propaganda. The bill
addresses the growing problem of government-sponsored
covert propaganda by requiring the federal government
to disclose its role in funding or disseminating messages
to the American public. There would be no more Armstrong
Williamses if this bill becomes law.
Ranking Member Waxman has introduced three other reform
proposals that were not considered as part of H.R. 5112:
an open government bill (H.R.
2331), a bill to halt the growing politicization
of science (H.R.
839), and a bill to end cronyism in government
(H.R.
3925). Chairman Davis and Rep. Waxman have
agreed to continue to work on these issues and to bring
them before the Committee for a vote before the Memorial
Day Recess.