WASHINGTON, DC – As part of her efforts to clean up Washington and increase transparency and accountability, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is backing legislation to reduce lobbyist influence in Washington and increase transparency and accountability in Congress. The Close the Revolving Door Act would ban former members of Congress from lobbying, increase the restrictions on former Congressional staff from becoming lobbyists from one year to six years after they leave a Congressional office, and include a six year ban to prevent lobbyists from working for members of Congress and committees that they lobbied. Finally, it would increase transparency and accountability by more than doubling penalties for violating lobbying disclosure laws, requiring lobbying firms to file with Congress a list of their paid consultants, and creating a public website that houses searchable lobbying disclosures.
“Nevadans are sick and tired of the dysfunction in Washington, and they deserve to know that their representatives in Congress are focused on public service,” said Senator Rosen. “That’s why I’m working to reduce the influence of powerful special interests and their lobbyists in Congress by increasing transparency and accountability. This commonsense legislation would bring much-needed reform to Washington and help restore people’s faith that Congress is working for them.”
“It’s become all too common for members of Congress and their staff to use public office as a launching pad to their next high-paying job instead of focusing on the issues facing their constituents,” said Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund. “The Close the Revolving Door Act is commonsense legislation that will end this practice and a necessary step in restoring faith to Americans that their elected officials are focused on working for them. We applaud Senator Rosen for backing crucial reform bills and for her continued leadership on increasing accountability and transparency in Congress.”
Senator Rosen has been a leading voice in the fight to clean up Washington and make it work for Nevadans. Last year, Senator Rosen’s bipartisan No Congressionally Obligated Recurring Revenue Used As Pensions To Incarcerated Officials Now (No CORRUPTION) Act to bar corrupt Members of Congress from collecting taxpayer-funded pensions passed the Senate. She also helped introduce the bipartisan No Budget, No Pay Act to prevent devastating government shutdowns by prohibiting lawmakers from getting paid if Congress fails to pass government funding legislation on time. This legislation would also ensure that no member of Congress continues to receive a paycheck while millions of Americans cannot during a government shutdown.
###
