Lobbying Disclosure Enhancement Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Lobbying Disclosure Enhancement Act makes several straightforward, commonsense amendments to the enforcement provisions of the Lobbying Disclosure Act.
First, this bill establishes a task force specifically dedicated to the enforcement of our lobbying laws. Although the newspapers are full of stories about lobbyists who file late, inaccurate, and incomplete reports, there has not yet been a single significant enforcement action.
We believe that an institutional change is in order. The task force will receive complaints from the Clerk of the House, investigate these cases, and enforce the disclosure laws to the fullest extent.
Second, this bill asks the Department of Justice to make recommendations to the Congress for additional improvements to the enforcement of lobbying disclosure laws. The ethics reform legislation we passed last Congress was an important step in bringing transparency and accountability to lobbying disclosure, but much more can and should be done. We look forward to working with Attorney General Holder to improve on the current system.
Third, the bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act to require the Attorney General to publish the names of lobbyists and lobbying firms who are sanctioned under the law. Just as we expect the Department of Justice to enforce the LDA, this bill will require the Department to be transparent about the results of their investigations and prosecutions.
I would like to thank the sponsor of the bill, the gen tle lady from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy), for her steadfast leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source