Ethics in Public Service

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, President Trump campaigned to drain the swamp, but his administration has only accelerated the revolving door between the executive branch and industry lobbyists.

Last week, I introduced a bill to restore the rules surrounding executive appointee lobbying to the higher standards of the previous administration.

The Ethics in Public Service Act would make commonsense changes to make government more transparent and accountable. For example, it would close loopholes in the Trump administration's ethics pledge allowing former appointees to communicate with the agency where they worked and permitting former lobbyists to join an executive agency that they lobbied within the previous 2 years.

Government officials should not be shamelessly trading on their service for personal gain or to help out the special interests that previously employed them.

Our democracy will function more effectively, and the American people will be better served, by a stronger separation between public service and corporate lobbying. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation to clean up the system in Washington.

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