While the middle class is facing a tax hike because of yet another congressional stalemate, Wall Street hedge funds and... View Article
Continue readingTransparency for Lawmaker Stock Transactions
Rep. Brian Baird and Rules Chair Louise Slaughter reintroduced an important transparency bill that would ban lawmakers, executive branch officials,... View Article
Continue readingLobbying, Ethics Reforms Released
The House Democrats released their proposed set of ethics, lobbying, and earmarking reforms that will be voted on early tomorrow. Over at Daily Kos new Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter put out a list of what these reforms entail, which I have cribbed below the fold. This is pretty much the set of changes that the Democrats supported during the ethics debate last year, although some stronger measures (think the earmark proposal sponsored by Rep. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Rahm Emanuel) have been left by the wayside. Take a look and let's talk about what's missing and where the loopholes are.
Continue reading