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Politics
House Republicans challenge broad lobbying reforms


The House voted 379 to 50 on Wednesday to ban former lawmakers turned lobbyists from the House floor and from the House gym but Republicans, in a private meeting, reacted negatively to a series of broad reforms aimed at changing the way business is done in Washington.

In what was described by The Washington Post as a "tense, 3 1/2 -hour closed-door session," Republicans challenged proposals laid out by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois). They questioned the need for a ban on privately-funded travel, limits on gifts to lawmakers and their staffs and other elements of the package.

At Hastert's behest, Rep. David Dreier (R-California) was to unveil a draft of the legislation yesterday but it has been delayed. The package is supposed to close the so-called "loophole" that allows tribes to contribute an unlimited total amount of money to federal candidates and political action committees.

Get the Story:
Lobbying Changes Divide House GOP (The Washington Post 2/2)
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Washington Sketch: An End to Treadmill Lobbying (The Washington Post 2/2)
House Republicans Reject a Broad Shake-Up (The New York Times 2/2)
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U.S. House Votes First Limits on Lobbyists Since Abramoff Plea (Bloomberg News 2/1)

Lobbying Reform Bills:
S.2128 | S.1312

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