Honest Leadership and Open Government Act

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titles
  • Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress Act of 2007
  • Congressional Pension Accountability Act
  • Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007
Long title An Act to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.
Acronyms (colloquial) HLOGA
Enacted by the 110th United States Congress
Effective September 14, 2007
Citations
Public law 110-81
Statutes at Large 121 Stat. 735
Codification
Titles amended 2 U.S.C.: Congress
U.S.C. sections amended 2 U.S.C. ch. 26 § 1601 et seq.
Legislative history

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (Pub.L. 110–81, 121 Stat. 735, enacted September 14, 2007) is a law of the United States federal government that amended parts of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. It strengthens public disclosure requirements concerning lobbying activity and funding, places more restrictions on gifts for members of Congress and their staff, and provides for mandatory disclosure of earmarks in expenditure bills. The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush on September 15, 2007.[1]

Bill sponsors

Main Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry M.

Co-sponsors:

Details of the bill

Closing the revolving door

Ending the “K Street Project

Prohibiting gifts by lobbyists

Full public disclosure of lobbying activity

New transparency for lobbyist political donations, bundling and other financial contributions

Congressional pension accountability

Prohibited use of private aircraft

Toughening penalties for falsifying financial disclosure forms

Amending House ethics rules

Disclosure by Members and staff of employment negotiations

Requires senior staff to notify the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct within three days if they engage in negotiations or agreements for future employment or compensation.

Requires that Members prohibit their staff from having any lobbying contact with the Member’s spouse if such individual is a registered lobbyist or is employed or retained by a registered lobbyist to influence legislation.

Posting of travel and financial disclosure reports on the Internet

Participation in lobbyist-sponsored events during political conventions

Amending Senate ethics rules

Procedural reform

Congressionally directed spending reform

Post-employment restrictions

Disclosure by Senators and staff of employment negotiations

Elimination of floor, parking and gym privileges for former Members who become lobbyists

Influencing hiring decisions (K Street Project)

Ban on gifts from lobbyists and entities that hire lobbyists

National party conventions

Restrictions on lobbyist participation in travel

Attendance at constituent events

Senate privately paid travel public website

Lobbying contact with spouses or immediate family members who are registered lobbyists

Prohibits Senators’ immediate family members who are registered lobbyists from engaging in lobbying contacts with their family member’s staff.

Mandatory Senate ethics training for Members and staff

Annual reports on ethics enforcement

Criticism

In April 2014, the Sunlight Foundation opined that the HLOGA of 2007 drove lobbyists underground.[2] In January 2015, a report by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics found that of 104 former congressional members and staffers whose “cooling off” period ended during the first session of the 114th Congress which opened January 6, 2015, 29 were already in government relations, “public affairs,” or serve as counsel at a firm that lobbies, and 13 of those are even registered as lobbyists.[3]

Notes

Both 2008 presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain offered amendments to the act, although neither were official cosponsors of the final act. The uncontroversial bill passed easily by an 83–14 margin, with Obama voting for and McCain voting against.[4]

References

  1. Babington, Charles; Associated Press (2007-09-15). "Bush Signs Lobby-Ethics Bill". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  2. Tim LaPira (1 April 2014). "Erring on the side of shady: How calling out "lobbyists" drove them underground". Sunlight Foundation. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  3. "All Cooled Off: As Congress Convenes, Former Colleagues Will Soon be Calling From K Street". Center for Responsive Politics. January 6, 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  4. ".S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress – 1st Session." United States Senate. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
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