Ethics Office For Hill Rejected

Ethics Office For Hill Rejected



Bipartisan Defeat For Independent Lobbying Overseer

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 3, 2006; Page A01



A Senate committee yesterday rejected a bipartisan proposal to establish an independent office to oversee the enforcement of congressional ethics and lobbying laws, signaling a reluctance in Congress to beef up the enforcement of its rules on lobbying.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted 11 to 5 to defeat a proposal by its chairman, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), and its ranking Democrat, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), that would have created an office of public integrity to toughen enforcement and combat the loss of reputation Congress has suffered after the guilty plea in January of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Democrats joined Republicans in killing the measure.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030202146.html?referrer=email

It seems that the congress would rather have the fox guarding the chicken coop. And who can blame them? After all it's their pot of gold at the end of ther rainbow.


I would hope the American public being fed up with the shenanigans and downright dishonesty of congress would contrary to what is the norm. Vote the incumbents running for office out. Any chance of the American public getting that wakeup call?