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Abramoff Scandal
House narrowly revives lobbying reform bill


The House narrowly voted 216-207 on Thursday to revive its version of the lobbying reform bill.

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) had pulled the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act from consideration after members of the Appropriations Committee said they would block it from a vote.

But after a day of negotiations, Hastert put the bill back on track after agreeing to some of the demands from the appropriators. A vote is now scheduled for Tuesday.

Despite the development, the legislation is far less than what Hastert promised after Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty. Republicans aren't worried about making too many reforms because they say the scandal is not a big issue for Americans.

Get the Story:
House narrowly clears lobbying reform hurdle (The Hill 4/27)
Ethics Bill Clears the House in Tight Vote (The Washington Post 4/28)
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House Lobbying Bill, in Peril, Gains Last-Minute Rescue (The New York Times 4/28)
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Lobbying bill quite different from first draft (USA Today 4/28)

House Reform Bill:
Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act (H.R.4975)

Senate Lobbying Reform Bill:
Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006 (S.2349) | Section-by-Section Summary

Other Lobbying Reform Bills:
Sen. McCain: Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005 (S.2128) | Sen. McCain: Reducing Conflicts of Interests in the Representation of Indian Tribes Act of 2005 (S.1312)

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