Busby Releases CLEAN Office Proposal
For Immediate Release Contact Brennan Bilberry
January 11, 2006 (760) 753.6300/(866) 632-3066
Busby Releases CLEAN Office Proposal
Would Create Toughest Standards for Lobbyist Access of
Any Congressional Office
Encinitas - Today Congressional Candidate Francine Busby released her CLEAN Office
Proposal, a plan detailing how her office will interact with lobbyists. If elected, Busby's
office would have the toughest standards for interaction with lobbyists of any of the 535
congressional offices in Washington.
"This Congress has consistently shown a willingness to put the needs of high-powered
DC lobbyists above the needs of average taxpayers and that has to change. The current
lax laws have allowed a system where lobbyists write legislation and taxpayer dollars are
given away in backroom, secret meetings," said Busby.
Busby's CLEAN Office proposal would eliminate secret meetings with lobbyists, limit
conflicts of interest as former House staff members and former members of Congress
become lobbyists, ban lobbyist funded travel, and ban any gifts from lobbyists. Busby has
pledged that any member of her staff who willfully violated these rules would no longer
serve on her staff.
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"The work of the 50th Congressional District office is the work of taxpayers and voters
not DC lobbyists and the powerful special interests they represent. I am happy to meet
with an advocate for any cause but believe that members of Congress should judge an
issue based on its merits not on their personal connection to the advocate," said Busby
News reports have indicated that the recent guilty plea of Republican lobbyist Jack
Abramoff may involve his testimony against up to 20 members of Congress and their
staff. According to the Center for Public Integrity, during 2003 federal lobbyists spent
$2.4 billion and the number has only risen since.
Busby added that, "This Congress has passed a Medicare bill for the big drug lobbyist
instead of seniors, an energy bill for the big oil lobbyists instead of consumers, and
appropriations earmarks for corporate lobbyists instead of deficit reduction. We have to
change the corrupt system that allowed Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff to
flourish."
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http://www.busbyforcongress.org/downloads/pressroom/20060111_pr_clean-office.pdf