What if Democrats Win? Spotlight on Congressional Reform

CONGRESSDAILY SPECIAL REPORT: WHAT IF DEMOCRATS WIN? Spotlight On Congressional Reform
By Greta Wodele and Christian Bourge, CongressDaily© National Journal Group Inc.Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring the impact on key committees and issues if Democrats win control of the House and Senate in November’s elections.
House and Senate Democrats say they plan to stick to a pledge made earlier this year to change ethics and lobbying policies if their party controls one or both chambers next year. "It's an issue that Democrats have clearly articulated this election cycle," said one Senate Democratic aide, acknowledging the party would feel political pressure to follow through with promises to change House and Senate rules. In January, House and Senate Democrats gathered the media in the ornate Library of Congress and publicly pledged to "restore honest leadership and open government" in Congress. One by one, the lawmakers signed the oath, conjuring up images of Republicans' "Contract with America" in 1994.
After choosing the next House speaker, “the first vote ... will be on the rules package and that will be first on integrity, upholding the highest ethical standards," says House Minority Leader Pelosi.

Democrats unveiled a proposal at the signing ceremony that is likely to serve as an outline for reforms next year. It called for requiring lawmakers and lobbyists to disclose more information about their activities and relationships and set criminal penalties for failure to comply. Democrats said they would ban congressional travel funded by lobbyists as well as gifts and meals. They also proposed increasing the ban on lobbying by former members of Congress from one to two years after they leave office and prohibiting former lawmakers from lobbying on the House and Senate floor.
They would also extend the post-employment ban to senior congressional and executive branch staff. Democrats said they would require lawmakers and senior congressional and executive staff to disclose negotiations for private-sector jobs. Other transparency provisions include a 24-hour review period after a conference committee agrees on legislation; disclosure of government contracts and a ban on no-bid contracting. On changing rules for committee assignments and chairmanship slots, Senate Democrats said they would wait to make those decisions after taking the temperature of rank-and-file next year.
"There are no proposals for term limits," said Senate Minority Whip Durbin, adding that Democrats "have not been in power for so long, we haven't even thought about" rules for a potential majority party.
House Democrats have found much to fuel their “culture of corruption” platform -- with House GOP leaders currently embroiled in the scandal surrounding former Rep. Mark Foley of Florida, Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio refusing to step down from office despite pleading guilty to corruption and bribe-taking charges last week, and former Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham of California resigning after pleading to corruption charges. But with federal corruption charges possibly coming at any time against one of their own -- Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson -- House Democrats have problems that raise the bar even higher than the level set by their good government rhetoric, something evident in the ambitious ethical reform agenda they have set for themselves if they win back control of the House.
Minority Leader Pelosi, Minority Whip Hoyer and other Democrats have promised reforms from nearly the very moment that Pelosi ascends to the speakership and Hoyer becomes majority leader. “We have put our [ethics reform] proposal in writing,” Pelosi said last month in reference to the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act" that she and Senate Minority Leader Reid have proposed. “The first vote that the members will take, after they vote for speaker of the House, will be on the rules package and that will be first on integrity, upholding the highest ethical standards.” Pelosi reiterated the Democrats' wish to bring “civility” back to the House after years of Republicans shutting out the minority party by reaching across the aisle on issues sides can agree upon.
In an interview, Hoyer said the centerpiece of Democrats’ reform agenda is the joint House-Senate proposal to “severely” restrict member travel and expenses that can be paid for by outside interests and to double the waiting period before departing members can lobby the House. House Democratic leaders are also promising to bring more transparency to the lawmaking process and the Byzantine rules that cover how a bill becomes law and allow for easy addition of earmarks to projects.
Hoyer said members will be given at least 24 hours notice on the content of legislation, including conference report language coming up for vote on the floor. Still up in the air is a proposal to limit how long a Democrat could serve as chairman of a single committee. That issue has divided the House Democratic Caucus.