Zachary T. Space: “I rise today to ask support for the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. I hail from Ohio's 18th…”

“I rise today to ask support for the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. I hail from Ohio's 18th Congressional District, a district of proud, hardworking people who understand the virtues of personal responsibility, a district whose constituency was betrayed in years past by a Member of this body who crossed a line. My predecessor is now in prison and he has been imprisoned for having, once again, betrayed his constituents and sold his vote. He became mired in and then consumed by a scandal involving lobbyists. This legislation helps further break the link that exists between lobbyists, legislators and the wealthy clients that lobbyists represent. It represents yet another positive step forward. It's not the end. It represents more of the beginning of a process whereby bribery will become deinstitutionalized from this body. It represents a process whereby we can make decisions in this body on an informed, rational basis designed specifically to benefit the good people who put us here. Early on in this Congress, we banned trips and gifts and meals from lobbyists, a good first step. Now we are bringing transparency to the system. But it can't stop here. My colleague from Connecticut raises the prospect of an independent organization to review potential breaches of law, something that I associate myself with, but we need yet to go beyond even that with aggressive and comprehensive campaign finance reform.”