Quigley, Kirk Introduce Bill to Help Illinois Fight Pay-to-Play Politics
Bipartisan effort ensures construction contracts are based on merit, not political connections.
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced legislation that would allow Illinois to effectively fight pay-to-play contracting in state highway construction projects. The State Ethics Law Protection Act (SELPA) will prohibit the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from withholding federal funds from states that have enacted anti-pay-to-play laws. Pay-to-play is the practice of trading campaign contributions for lucrative government contracts.
“At a time when allegations of ethics violations have become all too common, states shouldn’t be forced to choose between good government and good highways,” said Rep. Quigley. “This bill ensures that states have every tool at their disposal to encourage transparency and accountability and makes it clear that Congress supports their right to fight corruption, cronyism and waste. States have the right to guarantee their contracting conforms to the highest ethical standards and offers the best value to the taxpayers.”
"For too long Illinois families have paid a hidden 'corruption tax' as a result of dishonest public officials," Senator Kirk said. "This bipartisan measure shows Congress' support for state efforts to eliminate pay-to-play politics within our public transportation projects. My hope is our bill will help return good governance and integrity to our state."
SELPA clarifies that anti pay-to-play laws are consistent with federal contracting requirements, ensuring projects are chosen based on merit rather than political connections and favors. Rep. Quigley spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives earlier today about the bicameral bill, which is cosponsored by Reps. Tammy Duckworth (IL-08), Bill Foster (IL-11) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). To view the video and transcript of Rep. Quigley’s speech click here.
In 2008, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed a comprehensive anti pay-to-play bill, House Bill 824.Shortly thereafter, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) threatened to withhold funding for transportation projects due to its interpretation of federal contract bidding requirements. Under threat of losing out on millions of federal highway dollars, Illinois was forced to water down H.B. 824 to exclude transportation projects, effectively creating a loophole for pay-to-play.
Rep. Quigley is committed to good government reform and is cofounder of the bipartisan Transparency Caucus. He recently called on Congress to reform America’s tax code with increased transparency. He is also the author of Reinventing Government: The Federal Budget, which offers 15 recommendations to establish greater budgetary accountability, as well as 60 recommendations to save $2 trillion over the next 10 years.