Post by Gaffnoid on Jan 24, 2004 0:35:40 GMT -5
President Bush's prescription drug and energy bills contain billions in giveaways to drug and energy companies whose lobbyists have collected millions in donations for Bush's campaigns. Among the presidential candidates, only John Edwards has never taken a dime from federal lobbyists or Political Action Committees, and he never will. Edwards will ban members of Congress and the president from taking campaign contributions from federally registered lobbyists.
STOP THE REVOLVING DOOR FOR LOBBYISTS. Today, the White House is a waystation to and from lobbying jobs. Former lobbyists have become top Bush officials. Tom Scully, a former health care lobbyist who became head of Medicare, negotiated for a lucrative job with lobbying firms while working on the prescription drug bill. A former top lobbyist for makers of student loans, William Hansen, became deputy secretary at the Education Department. The head of chemical giant Monsanto's PAC, Linda Fisher, became deputy administrator at the EPA. Former top Bush officials who are now lobbyists include Nancy Dorn, his former Office of Management and Budget deputy director, and four officials at the Homeland Security Department. Edwards will stop this revolving door from going either way.
Ban Lobbyists from Going Directly into Top Government Jobs. Edwards would bar individuals who acted as federal lobbyists in the preceding 12 months from taking senior executive jobs with responsibility for the subject areas on which they lobbied. A chemical industry lobbyist could not take a job with responsibility for chemical industry regulation, for example.
Reinstate the Five-Year Ban on Lobbying by Former Top Officials. Edwards would reinstate the five-year ban on top executive branch officials becoming lobbyists. He would apply this ban to all top-level officials throughout the executive branch, including officials at independent agencies and in the United States Military.
STOP THE REVOLVING DOOR FOR LOBBYISTS. Today, the White House is a waystation to and from lobbying jobs. Former lobbyists have become top Bush officials. Tom Scully, a former health care lobbyist who became head of Medicare, negotiated for a lucrative job with lobbying firms while working on the prescription drug bill. A former top lobbyist for makers of student loans, William Hansen, became deputy secretary at the Education Department. The head of chemical giant Monsanto's PAC, Linda Fisher, became deputy administrator at the EPA. Former top Bush officials who are now lobbyists include Nancy Dorn, his former Office of Management and Budget deputy director, and four officials at the Homeland Security Department. Edwards will stop this revolving door from going either way.
Ban Lobbyists from Going Directly into Top Government Jobs. Edwards would bar individuals who acted as federal lobbyists in the preceding 12 months from taking senior executive jobs with responsibility for the subject areas on which they lobbied. A chemical industry lobbyist could not take a job with responsibility for chemical industry regulation, for example.
Reinstate the Five-Year Ban on Lobbying by Former Top Officials. Edwards would reinstate the five-year ban on top executive branch officials becoming lobbyists. He would apply this ban to all top-level officials throughout the executive branch, including officials at independent agencies and in the United States Military.
Thank you Gaffnoid, I was un-aware that the ban was no longer in effect. I thought this had been law for several years and was a permanant thing. 
Thanks for the link Gaffnoid. Got it in a *favorite* place. will study it 
