Ethics and the New Congress
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Cara Fisher is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of University of Texas at Austin. |
As part of their “First 100 Hours” in the new legislative session, House Democrats have pledged a sweeping reform of the rules that govern ethics and lobbying practices in Congress.
Keeping their promise, House leaders opened the 110 th Congress with a series of rules changes, placing restrictions on gift and travel provisions that previously allowed registered lobbyists to provide members of Congress with extravagant meals and tickets to sporting events, among other perks. Thursday’s Washington Post article discussing the expected changes to ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives referenced what newly elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has promised to be “the most ethical Congress ever.”
While lobby reform is one of the many important issues that Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues have laid out as part of their 100 hour plan, it is crucial that a new standard of ethical behavior and morality characterize this new Congress. Scandal and corruption of the past should remain as such, and our elected officials must work together towards restoring the public’s faith in government.