Chris Van Hollen: “despite the huge scandals that have worked this town, this Congress has failed to pass a lobbying reform bill, we failed…”

“despite the huge scandals that have worked this town, this Congress has failed to pass a lobbying reform bill, we failed to pass an ethics reform bill, we failed to deal with the gift ban, we failed to stop the flying on the corporate jets, we failed to shut the resolving door. There has been a shameful lack of accountability. Now, I support greater transparency in the earmark process, I support greater sunshine. But we should get right at the root of the problem and eliminate the worst abuses outright. Now, Mr. Emanuel and I and others offered an amendment the other day in the Rules Committee to stop the inside dealing and to stop the sweetheart deals, and the Republican leadership said no. What did that amendment do? It was pretty simple. It said a Member of Congress can't take Federal taxpayers' dollars and earmark them for an organization that employs their spouse or their family members. They said no to that. It says let's not take Federal taxpayer dollars and steer them to an organization that just employed one of their former staffers. They said no to that.”