Feingold: Senate won't overhaul lobbying

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) yesterday predicted that the Senate will not pass legislation to overhaul lobbying practices this year.

“The teasing has not started yet, but I’m sure it will,” Feingold said, only partly joking about the rough reception he anticipates from fellow senators for writing the bill. Among other things, the bill will require more disclosure of lawmakers’ meetings with lobbyists, increase the cost of traveling on private jets and ban retired senators-turned-lobbyists from the Senate floor.

Although GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s role in securing upwards of $60 million in fees from Indian tribes has made plenty of headlines this year, Feingold said he believes that lawmakers have not felt enough public backlash to make his bill a priority — at least not yet.

“Public embarrassment causes things to pass … and there is a lot out there to cause embarrassment,” he said.

Feingold helped push through stricter rules about the type of gifts lawmakers can receive in 1995 and teamed up with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2002 to pass the first major overhaul of campaign-finance laws in 25 years. He said McCain has expressed interest in his bill, but Feingold reiterated McCain’s wish to wait until he holds his final hearing on Abramoff to decide whether to throw his support behind Feingold’s efforts.
Jonathan E. Kaplan / The Hill