Busby Calls House Leadership Ethics

For Immediate Release Contact Brennan Bilberry
March 20, 2005 (760) 479.0154

Busby Calls House Leadership Ethics
Plan "Cover Your Butt Strategy"

Busby Sends Torn Jeans to Reporters to Symbolize Leadership Ethics Plan

Encinitas, CA - Congressional Candidate Francine Busby called the House Leadership's
ethics plan nothing more than a thinly veiled effort to cover their butts and the clearest
sign yet that they believe business as usual in Washington is just fine. She sent jeans with
holes in the seat to local reporters to symbolize the leadership plan.

"The House leadership should have been busy developing an ethics package to limit
lobbyist influence but clearly they are just interested in covering their butts," said Busby
"Instead of getting serious about changing the way Washington works, this proposal is a
paper-thin cover over the culture of corruption in DC."

The House leadership plan still allows lobbyist gifts, does nothing to end the revolving
door between staff/representatives becoming lobbyists, bans privately funded travel only
until after the election and, creates partial restrictions on anonymous appropriations,
which even some Republicans say may encourage more wasteful spending.

"My CLEAN House ethics package goes beyond what the Democrats or the Republicans
have proposed," said Busby. "It's simple: no secret meetings, no gifts, no lobbyist-paid
travel, no secret pork barrel spending and no exceptions."

Busby's proposals would eliminate gifts from lobbyists, permanently ban lobbyist-funded
travel, end anonymous earmarks, stop secret meetings with lobbyists, ban outside
financial relationships with government contractors, and end conflicts of interest as
former Representatives or former Congressional staffers become lobbyists.

"Establishment politicians have once again proven that they are content with business as
usual. They have given us a Medicare Bill for the big drug companies, an energy bill for
the profitable oil companies and secret pork barrel spending for powerful special
interests," added Busby.

"Rather than listening to Americans who are fed up with business as usual, the House
leadership has designed an ethics package to protect their pay-to-play system. Their
proposal is the ultimate cover your butt strategy," Busby concluded.

http://www.busbyforcongress.org/downloads/pressroom/20060320_pr_cyb.pdf