March 08, 2007   LIEBERMAN WELCOMES STIFFER LOBBYING RULES FOR FORMER DHS OFFICIALS   WASHINGTON – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Thursday expressed his approval of new ethics guidelines for the Department of Homeland Security that limit former senior officials from lobbying the Department for at least one year after they leave their posts. “This is a positive step toward slowing the revolving door between special interests and government service,” said Lieberman. “Allowing officials to immediately lobby the department they once helped run is not only unethical, it also undermines public trust in DHS.” The improved rules were published Thursday by the Office of Government Ethics and go into effect immediately. The previous policy prohibited senior Department officials from lobbying only the specific agency in DHS where they previously worked, but allowed them to solicit other agencies inside the Department. Lieberman cited a New York Times story from June 18, 2006, which highlighted several former DHS officials who left the Department to join private firms to lobby various agencies at DHS for domestic security funds. The executives earned enormous sums of money from the same contractors they had been recently overseeing. “Too many officials, for too long, have been able to use inside information and special access for their own personal benefit. By imposing a single, clear standard across the entire Department, former employees moving to the private sector can no longer exploit loopholes in the system.” -30-   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 March 2007 Press Releases   March 23 - LIEBERMAN, COLLINS SECURE MILLIONS MORE FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMERGENCY PLANNING   March 22 - LIEBERMAN, COLLINS PUSH FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF POSTWAR RECONSTRUCTION IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN   March 21 - LIEBERMAN, COLLINS QUESTION GAO CHIEF ON FUTURE CHALLENGES TO IMPROVING OVERSIGHT, REDUCING INEFFICIENCY IN GOVERNMENT   March 15 - LIEBERMAN CONGRATULATES CONNECTICUT NATIVE ON APPOINTMENT TO HEAD FBI TERRORIST SCREENING CENTER   March 14 - SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE HEARING EXAMINES ISLAMIC RADICALISM INSIDE UNITED STATES   March 13 - SENATE APPROVES LIEBERMAN-COLLINS HOMELAND SECURITY BILL TO FULFILL 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS   March 12 - LIEBERMAN PROPOSES $3.4 BILLION MORE THAN ADMINISTRATION FOR FY2008 HOMELAND SECURITY BUDGET   March 9 - NOVEL DAIS SEATING ASSIGNMENTS ADOPTED TO REFLECT NON-PARTISANSHIP OF COMMITTEE   March 8 current Press Release   March 6 - SENATE ENDORSES LIEBERMAN-COLLINS BALANCED PLAN FOR HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING AS PART OF 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION BILL
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510