Reps. Gomez and Maloney Reintroduce Executive Branch Conflict of Interest Act

Press Release

This week, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, reintroduced the Executive Branch Conflict of Interest Act. This legislation -- championed by the late Chairman Elijah E. Cummings -- reduces the influence of industry lobbyists on senior government officials and addresses the revolving door between lobbying firms and the government by strengthening and enhancing ethics requirements for federal employees.

The Executive Branch Conflict of Interest Act is included in H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a historic reform package to restore the promise of our nation's democracy, end the culture of corruption in Washington, and reduce the role of money in politics to return the power back to the American people.

"The greed and corruption that has come to define the Trump presidency -- particularly the conduct of Cabinet members, high-ranking officials, and the president himself -- has further stressed the importance of transparency and accountability within the Executive Branch, "said Congressman Gomez. "The reintroduction of the Executive Branch Conflict of Interest Act will not only help close the revolving door between corporate America and the Executive Branch, but it also honors the legacy of the late Chairman Elijah Cummings who fought tirelessly to bolster public trust in our intuitions and the officials who serve them."

"Abuses by Trump Administration officials highlighted the need to strengthen ethics laws," said Chairwoman Maloney. "This bill includes reforms that will strengthen accountability for executive branch officials and slow the revolving door. I appreciate Rep. Gomez's leadership in taking the baton on this important legislation."

Click here for the full text of the legislation.

To slow the revolving door and help ensure that conflicts of interest do not erode the effectiveness of government regulators, the Executive Branch Conflict of Interest Act would:

Prohibit "golden parachute" payments that reward former employees for joining the government;
Strengthen recusal requirements to prevent senior government officials from taking actions that benefit their former employers or clients;
Strengthen restrictions prohibiting former federal contracting officials from joining a private sector contracting firm after participating in a contract award to that company; and
Prohibit senior government officials from lobbying the agencies they worked at for two years after they leave federal employment, instead of the current one year.

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