GOP blinks on ethics

The Senate, responding to voter frustration with corruption and special interest influence in Washington, on Thursday overwhelmingly approved far-reaching ethics and lobbying reform legislation.

Under the bill, passed 96-2, senators will give up gifts and free travel from lobbyists, pay more for travel on corporate jets and make themselves more accountable for the pet projects they insert into bills.

The Senate did reject the idea of setting up an independent office to investigate the ethical breaches of members. But it said that spouses of sitting members will no longer be able to lobby the Senate and lobbyists can no longer pay for extravagant parties for members at national conventions.

Passage of the bill came a day after the measure appeared dead, the victim of a test of will between the two parties.

Republicans were angry they could not get a vote on a proposal giving the president, with congressional approval, more power to kill single spending items in larger bills. So GOP senators voted against a resolution needed to move the bill to final passage.

"The Democrat leadership does not have to kill this legislation," countered Republican leader Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky. "I believe that we owe it to the voters as well as the institution to come to a fair agreement and pass this legislation."

Under the agreement reached Thursday, the sponsor, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., will be allowed to offer his proposal as part of the next bill to reach the Senate floor, a proposal to raise the minimum wage while giving small businesses several tax breaks. That will take place on Monday.

- Bar lawmakers from accepting gifts and most travel paid for by lobbyists.

- Extend from one to two years the time a former member must wait before he can engage in lobbying activities.

- Deny pensions to lawmakers convicted of serious crimes.

- Require more reporting by lobbyists on their activities.

- Require public disclosure of those home-state projects.

- Require senators hitching rides on private jets to pay full charter rates rather than the current practice of paying the far cheaper equivalent of a first class ticket.

- Require reporting by lobbyists who obtain small donations from clients and then "bundle" them into larger contributions to politicians.

- Prevent spouses of sitting members from lobbying the Senate.

The Senate, on a 55-43 vote, approved an amendment pushed by Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, to strip a provision requiring reporting of "grass-roots" lobbying.