Quigley Introduces Groundbreaking Lobbyist Transparency Bill

Bill is part of comprehensive open government package

WASHINGTON -- Today, Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced a package of transparency measures highlighted by a bill that will impose stricter disclosure rules and demand greater transparency from Washington lobbyists. The Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act calls for greater openness in the way lobbyists register, report their meetings, and file contributions.

"As Justice Brandeis said 'sunlight is of the best disinfectants,' and it's true for those making laws, as well as those influencing them," said Quigley. "With trust in government at an all-time low, transparency in everything we do is paramount to restoring it."

"The American people have a right to know who is lobbying our elected officials, on what issue, in what way, and for how long," said Rep. Jared Polis (CO-2), an original co-sponsor of the bill. "The Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act is a big step toward improving public transparency for our democracy. It will shine a bright light of disclosure on the ways in which powerful interests attempt to influence Congress."

For a full bill summary and fact sheet, click here. Highlights of the Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act include:

• Requires lobbyists for the first time to report meetings with individual members of Congress, rather than simply 'House' or 'Senate'

• Requires all paid lobbyists to register by closing the 20 percent loophole which currently allows individuals who spend less than 20 percent of their time lobbying to avoid registration

• Requires lobbyists to register within 5 days, rather than 45 days, of making a lobbying contact or being hired to make a lobbyist contact and more frequent reporting of political contributions

"Representative Quigley took a truly significant step toward improving what we know about the power players in Washington by introducing the Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act today," said Ellen Miller, co-founder and executive director of the non-partisan Sunlight Foundation. "We must improve the timeliness of disclosure, close the loopholes so everyone who is paid to lobby has to report, and expand the nature of what is reported. In the wake of the Citizens United decision that has unleashed untold millions of unreported money in our political system, following the activities of lobbyists by making their work more transparent will help Americans track how special interests influence policymaking and ensure accountability."

Quigley also reintroduced the Transparency in Government Act, a landmark bill that would bring unprecedented access and accountability to the federal government. The comprehensive proposal emphasizes transparency throughout the federal government with a focus on utilizing new technologies, increasing disclosures from lawmakers, and strengthening oversight of federal spending.

For a section-by-section fact sheet, click here. Details of the Transparency in Government Act, which Quigley first introduced in the 111^th Congress, include:

• Creating the first-ever searchable, sortable, and downloadable database for earmarks, where taxpayers can see all appropriations in one place

• Improving public access to information about Members of Congress, including online disclosure of financial information, travel reports, gifts, and earmark requests

• Improving oversight and accuracy of USAspending.gov (federal contracting Web site) by requiring annual audits of the information on the website and expanding information reported about contracts to include the extent of competition and profit-incentive details

A co-founder of the House Transparency Caucus, Quigley recently introduced a bill to provide every taxpayer with a receipt detailing how their tax dollars are spent. He also authored Reinventing Government: The Federal Budget Parts I and II to establish transparency in the budget process and offered 60 recommendations to save $2 trillion over the next 10 years. Yesterday, his bill to make all federal agency reports to Congress available to the public, passed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.