Tough Ethics Rules Set In 1st Vote By New Congress
BY JOHN TOSCANO

Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, The Bronx) gets sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the 110th Congress begins. Holding his 17-month-old son, Liam, the Congressman is surrounded by his wife, Kasey (c.) and four nephews.

Moments after the new Democrat-controlled House of Representatives was installed last Thursday, a package of ethics reforms was passed that is expected to bring integrity to the legislative process, reverse Republican excesses and restore the public trust in Congress, Congressmember Joseph Crowley declared.

"With the passage of this historic ethics package, we are restoring honesty, openness and accountability to the House of Representatives and to Washington," Crowley stated. "Most importantly, we are restoring open government to the American people. Hardworking families in Queens and The Bronx deserve a responsive Congress that puts them first and listens to their needs."

Crowley, the Democrats' Chief Deputy Whip and a member of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, added, "I am proud to cast my first vote in the 110th Congress as a member of the majority to make this Congress the cleanest and most ethical in United States history."

The Honest Leadership and Open Government bill passed by an overwhelming 430 - 1 vote.

The broad ethics rules changes ban gifts from lobbyists and payments from them to cover House members' travel costs as well as free use of non-commercial corporate jets and ends efforts by a political party to dictate to corporations and lobbying firms who they should hire in exchange for political access.

The bill also bans arm-twisting for votes while a vote on a bill is delayed for an unduly long period of time.

In addition the House Democrats will pass "pay-as-you-go" budget rules to stop any new deficit spending as the first step toward reversing record deficits incurred by the Bush administration over the past six years.

"Republicans turned our record surplus into record deficits," Crowley (D- Queens/The Bronx) charged." The American people have to live within their budget and make ends meet, and the Congress should have to do the same thing."

Finally, there will be no deals allowing lawmakers to use "earmarks" in secret arrangements to direct a funding appropriation to a special interest, Crowley said.

He noted, "The explosion of earmarked special interest projects set the stage for the bribery scandal in which lobbyists were providing gifts in return for special projects which landed Congressmember Duke Cunningham of California in jail."

The ban on gifts from lobbyists applies to congressmembers and their staffs. Gifts have been used by lobbyists to sway legislators' opinions, Crowley charged.

Crowley added that House Democrats will ban gifts and meals from lobbyists and their firms, and will require that tickets to sporting and other events given to members and staffs are valued at market prices.

A release from Crowley did not state what punishment would be incurred for engaging in the various prohibited activities.