William F. Smith: “I am pleased that the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act is being considered today. Accountability and…”

“I am pleased that the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act is being considered today. Accountability and transparency with respect to the lobbying profession is necessary to ensure public confidence in how Members and staff of this House interact with the outside world. And I further believe that this legislation will help brighten the lines for Members and staff in terms of what is permissible behavior and what is not. Consistent with this need to have such bright line, I want to make certain that some of the language in the bill is understood to mean what it says and nothing more. Under Section 105(7), lobbyists would be required to disclose ``the date, recipient, and amount of funds contributed by the registrant or an employee listed as a lobbyist by the registrant under paragraph (2)(C); (A) to, or on behalf of, an entity that is named for a covered legislative branch official, or to a person or entity in recognition of such official; or (B) to an entity established, financed, maintained, or controlled by a covered legislative official.'' Members have a longstanding history, and one that I respect, of raising money for and being otherwise involved with charitable organizations. This provision would apply to charities when such charity is named for a covered legislative branch official, or when a charity recognizes a covered legislative official.…”