Watchdogs push for more enforcement in lobbying bill

A coalition of government-watchdog groups pushing for stricter enforcement provisions in the House’s lobbying and ethics bill wrote to House Judiciary Committee members yesterday, urging their support for three amendments that Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) plans to offer during this morning’s markup of the leadership-backed reform package.

Meehan’s first amendment would beef up the bill’s mandate for reporting of all lobbyist campaign contributions, requiring disclosure of lobbyist-hosted fundraisers, lobbyist-sponsored convention parties and honorific events, and lobbyist contributions to lawmakers’ foundations.

The second amendment would require grassroots lobbying firms to register and disclose their spending as traditional lobbyists do, and the third would double the “revolving door” ban on former members’ lobbying ex-colleagues to two years.