Rep. Gillibrand Votes To Reform Ethical Standards In Washington

REP. GILLIBRAND VOTES TO REFORM ETHICAL STANDARDS IN WASHINGTON

In her first two days in office, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand voted for an aggressive ethics reform package to restore public confidence and integrity in Congress. Within the first 24 hours of the 110th Congress all three components of the Honest Leadership and Open Government bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Restoring the public's trust in Congress is essential and I believe these reforms are an important first step in doing that," said Rep. Gillibrand, a member of the influential Armed Services Committee. "It is time to take our government back from the special interests and return it to the taxpayers."

Within hours of being sworn in as a new member of Congress, Rep. Gillibrand took to the House floor to speak in favor of the ethic reforms. Her speech was carried live on C-Span.

"Our government needs to be open and accountable to the people it represents and we need to bring transparency to Congress. I plan to lead by example and will hold forums open to the public and the media throughout the district and will regularly publish a list of who I meet with in Washington. Voters sent a message in this last election, they want their government back and we heard them loud and clear."

The ethics proposal that was passed included:

Ban on Gifts from Lobbyists: Members of Congress and their staff shouldn't accept gifts or expensive meals that could sway legislators' opinions, create unethical relationships between lobbyists and legislators, or give the appearance of impropriety. The proposal will ban gifts and meals from lobbyists and the organizations that employ them, and requires that tickets to sporting and other events given to Members and staff are valued at market prices.

Ban Lobbyist Travel: The legislation will ban lobbyists and the organizations that employ them from planning, organizing, requesting, financing, arranging, or participating in travel for Members of Congress or their staff.

Prohibits use of Company Planes: The legislation prohibits the use of official, personal or campaign funds to pay for the use of non-commercial, corporate jets.

Shut Down Pay-to-Play Schemes Like the "K Street Project." The bill will end efforts like the "K Street Project," which amounted to a revolving door between Congress and lobbying firms, in which Republican leaders told corporations and lobbying firms whom they should hire in exchange for political access.

Ban Arm Twisting for Votes: The proposal will prohibit the practice of holding votes open for undue amounts of time for the sole purpose of twisting arms and affecting the outcome of a vote.

Require fiscal and budgetary responsibility. Past Congresses have turned our record surplus into record deficits. The American people have to live within their budget and make ends meet day in and day out, month after month. The Congress should have to do the same. Under this legislation the Congress will have "pay-as-you-go" budget rules to stop any new deficit spending as the first step toward reversing record deficits mortgaging our children's future.

Earmark Reform. The explosion of earmarked special interest projects set the stage for the bribery scandal, in which lobbyists were providing gifts in return for special projects, which landed Rep. Duke Cunningham in jail. Under the new leadership, there will be no secret deals between legislators and special interests -- there will be full disclosure of all earmarks, requiring Members to certify that earmarks provided would be for the public good -- not financially benefiting themselves or their spouses.
Key provisions below:

Significantly increase the share of state homeland security grants provided on the basis of risk. This means a big increase for New York State.

* Creates a stand-alone grant program for interoperable communications for first responders.
* Phases in a requirement of 100% inspection of air cargo over the next 3 years.
* Quickly accelerates the installation of in-line explosive detection systems for checked baggage.
* Mandates a strategic plan for deployment of explosive detection equipment at passenger checkpoints.
* Phases in a requirement of 100% scanning of U.S.-bound shipping containers over the next 5 years.

This bill also includes a number of provisions to prevent terrorists from acquiring WMD, including:

* Improving U.S. non-proliferation program, and creating a U.S. Coordinator for the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism and a blue-ribbon commission to recommend further reforms.
* Strengthening efforts to eliminate nuclear black-market networks.

This bill also includes several provisions on strategies to reduce the appeal of extremism, including:

* Enhancing the International Arab and Muslim Youth Opportunity Fund, which provides assistance for expanding modern educational programs for Arab and other Muslim youth around the world.
* Providing for the establishment of a Middle East Foundation, to promote economic opportunities, education reform, human rights, and democratic processes in the countries of the Middle East.

http://gillibrand.house.gov/pr010807_2.shtml