"Dedicated to exposing the lies and impeachable offenses of George W. Bush"



Index
Poll: 80% Don't Want Congressional Family Members Congress Lobbying Congress
USA Today
By Peter Eisler and Matt Kelley, USA TODAY
October 17, 2006

An overwhelming majority of Americans believe it's wrong for lawmakers and their staffs to have contact with relatives who are lobbyists regarding government matters. But a survey of lawmakers suggests they don't see a problem.

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows that 80% of respondents believe such actions are inappropriate. By contrast, few members of the House and Senate appropriations committees say they have policies that prevent lobbying by relatives.

SURVEY: Where lawmakers stand

Four committee members who responded to a USA TODAY survey have policies that prevent relatives from lobbying them or their staffs. All are senators: Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

None of the House members who responded reported having such a policy. The newspaper surveyed all 94 members of the appropriations committees; 37 answered the survey.

"We have clearly seen some potential problem areas in this Congress in terms of the role being played by spouses and relatives," says Fred Wertheimer, head of the ethics watchdog group Democracy 21. "That really needs to be examined now to see what kind of rules are necessary to address it."

The USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, taken earlier this month, shows that 72% of respondents are concerned "a great deal" or "a fair amount" about such lobbyist contacts.

An investigation by the newspaper found 53 cases last year in which members of the appropriations committees or their top aides had relatives in the lobbying business. Of the relatives who sought money in appropriations bills for their clients, 22 succeeded in getting specific language inserted in the bills that guaranteed money for the relatives' clients.

"We handle (potential conflicts of interest) by hiring good, professional, ethical people," says John Scofield, spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.

"If there's any instance in which there's some sort of inappropriate action being taken at the behest of whoever, that (staffer) would be shown the door." he said. "Everyone around here knows we won't tolerate that."

Where the lawmakers stand

Only four lawmakers on the House and Senate appropriations committees who responded to a USA TODAY survey say they have policies to prevent relatives from lobbying them or their staff members.

Republican House Appropriations Committee members
Rep., state Answered survey Has policy
Jerry Lewis, Calif. (chairman) Yes No
C.W. "Bill" Young, Fla. Yes No
Ralph Regula, Ohio Yes No
Hal Rogers, Ky. No  
Frank Wolf, Va. Yes No
Tom DeLay, Texas (seat now vacant) N/A N/A
Jim Kolbe, Ariz. No  
James Walsh, N.Y. Yes No
Charles Taylor, N.C. No  
Dave Hobson, Ohio Yes No
Ernest Istook, Okla. No  
Henry Bonilla, Texas No  
Joe Knollenberg, Mich. No  
Jack Kingston, Ga. No  
Rodney Frelinghuysen, N.J. No  
Roger Wicker, Miss. Yes No.
Todd Tiahrt, Kan. Yes No
Zach Wamp, Tenn. No  
Tom Latham, Iowa Yes No
Anne Northup, Ky. No  
Robert Aderholt, Ala. No  
JoAnn Emerson, Mo. No  
Kay Granger, Texas No  
John Peterson, Pa. No  
Virgil Goode, Va. No  
John Doolittle, Calif. No  
Ray LaHood, Ill. No  
John Sweeney, N.Y. No  
Don Sherwood, Pa. No  
Dave Weldon, Fla. Yes No
Mike Simpson, Idaho Yes No
John Culberson, Texas Yes No
Mark Kirk, Ill. No  
Ander Crenshaw, Fla. No  
Denny Rehberg, Mont. No  
John Carter, Texas Yes No
Rodney Alexander, La. No  
Democrat House Appropriations Committee members
Rep., state Answered survey Has policy
Dave Obey, Wis. (ranking member) No  
John Murtha, Pa. Yes No
Norm Dicks, Wash. No  
Martin Olav Sabo, Minn. No  
Steny Hoyer, Md. No  
Alan Mollohan, W.Va. No  
Marcy Kaptur, Ohio No  
Pete Visclosky, Ind. No  
Nita Lowey, N.Y. No  
Jos Serrano, N.Y. Yes No
Rosa DeLauro, Conn. No  
Jim Moran, Va. Yes No
Republican Senate Appropriations Committee members
Senator, state Answered survey Has policy
Thad Cochran, Miss. (chairman) Yes No
Ted Stevens, Alaska No  
Arlen Specter, Pa. Yes Yes
Pete Domenici, N.M. Yes No
Kit Bond, Mo. Yes No
Mitch McConnell, Ky. Yes Yes
Conrad Burns, Mont. No  
Richard Shelby, Ala. No  
Judd Gregg, N.H. No  
Bob Bennett, Utah No  
Larry Craig, Idaho Yes No
Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas No  
Mike DeWine, Ohio Yes No
Sam Brownback, Kan. No  
Wayne Allard, Colo. No  
Democratic Senate Appropriations Committee members
Robert Byrd, W.Va. (ranking member) No  
Daniel Inouye, Hawaii No  
Patrick Leahy, Vt. No  
Tom Harkin, Iowa Yes Yes
Barbara Mikulski, Md. No  
Harry Reid, Nev. No  
Herb Kohl, Wis. Yes No
Patty Murray, Wash. Yes No
Byron Dorgan, N.D. No  
Dianne Feinstein, Calif. Yes No
Dick Durbin, Ill. Yes Yes
Tim Johnson, S.D. No  
Mary Landrieu, La. Yes No

Contributing: Will Risser and Catherine Rampell

Original Text

Commentary: