Mike Levin: “I introduce the Lobbying Disclosure Technical Amendments Act of 1997. Last year, Congressmen Charles Canady and Barney…”

“I introduce the Lobbying Disclosure Technical Amendments Act of 1997. Last year, Congressmen Charles Canady and Barney Frank sponsored a similar piece of legislation and moved it through the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, a last minute dispute over one of the provisions precluded the Senate from passing the bill and sending it to the President for signature. The bill I am introducing today contains all but one of the key elements of the bill passed by the House last year; the provision that was problematic to some Members of the Senate has been omitted. I hope that the Senate will act expeditiously to pass this revised bill, so that we can clear up the technical issues identified by our colleagues on the House side in the last Congress. Mr. President, just 2 years ago, Congress enacted the Lobbying Disclosure Act [LDA], the first substantive reform in the laws governing lobbying disclosure in 50 years. The LDA was designed to overhaul our lobbying disclosure statutes and plug the glaring loopholes in those laws. Lobbying of congressional staff is no longer exempt; lobbying of executive branch officials is no longer exempt; lobbying on nonlegislative issues is no longer exempt; and the much-abused primary purpose test has been eliminated. For the first time ever, all paid, professional lobbyists are required to disclose who is paying them how much to lobby Congress and the executive branch on what issues.”