Jan. 17, 2007 -- Position of Reform Groups on Key Amendments to Senate Ethics and Lobbying Reform Legislation

Enclosed for your information is a chart that reform groups sent today to Senators, summarizing the position of reform groups on key pending amendments to the Senate ethics and lobbying reform legislation.

The reform groups include the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG.

Campaign Legal Center - Common Cause - Democracy 21
League of Women Voters - Public Citizen - U.S. PIRG

Position of Reform Groups on Amendments to Senate
Ethics and Lobbying Reform Bill

Amendment to Senate Ethics and Lobbying Reform Bill	Position of Reform Groups
Reid Amendment: establishes new restrictions on lobbyists and lobbying organizations paying for trips and gifts, including meals and entertainment, provided to Senators and staff, and requires Senators to pay charter fares, not first-class fares, for the use of corporate planes.	Vote ''YES''
Obama-Feingold Amendment: requires lobbyists and lobbying organizations to disclose on their lobbying reports the contributions they collect or arrange for federal officeholders and candidates, leadership PACs and party committees.	Vote ''YES''
Bennett Amendment: strikes a key disclosure provision from the Reid-McConnell substitute to require professional ''Astroturf'' lobbying firms and lobbying organizations to report the total amounts they spend to conduct ''Astroturf'' lobbying campaigns.	Vote ''NO''
Feingold Amendment: closes loophole in gift rules by preventing lobbyists and lobbying organizations from paying for parties at the national conventions to ''honor'' a Member or members of Congress.	Vote ''YES''
Lieberman Amendment: requires lobbyists and lobbying organizations to disclose the earmarks they are seeking in Congress, the clients for whom they are seeking the earmarks and the congressional sponsors of the earmarks.	Vote ''YES''
Feingold Amendment: expands scope of the revolving door prohibition to include all lobbying activities to influence Congress, not just direct lobbying contacts.	Vote ''YES''
McCain Amendment: allows a Point of Order to be raised against unauthorized appropriations, earmarks, and policy riders and prohibits federal agencies from dispensing funds for appropriations earmarks included only in report language.	Vote ''YES''

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