Senators eye lobbying bill as ready vehicle for pet causes

Rank-and-file senators are eyeing a lobbying-disclosure measure as a vehicle for a host of pet causes — issues ranging from budget-process reform to the controversial Dubai Ports World deal — as Republican and Democratic leaders try to shepherd the politically imperative bill through the chamber without turning it into a legislative Christmas tree.

“Let’s keep amendments on the issue that is at hand, amendments surrounding lobbying,” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) pleaded yesterday on the floor. “Tying up with other amendments, what we call non-germane amendments, is not going to be in anybody’s best interests.”

Conservatives, eager to find the means to cut government spending, may try to insert the president’s new line-item-veto proposal or legislation establishing biennial budgeting, according to a Senate Republican aide.

A powerful new weapon for earmark foes is already included in the committee-approved lobbying-reform bill. The most significant institutional change in the measure would allow rank-and-file lawmakers to strike conference provisions — in any legislation, spending or otherwise — on a point of order without killing the conference report. A 60-vote supermajority would be needed to overcome the objection.

While many lawmakers have been preoccupied with the more parochial issues of a stricter gift ban and increased disclosure for lobbyists and grassroots groups, some congressional aides recognize the reach of the new point of order.

“It’s like the Holy Grail of process reform,” said a senior House Republican aide who likes the idea but doubts that the Senate will ultimately adopt it. “The Senate’s doing a little window-dressing and hoping it will fall out in conference,” the aide said.

“I haven’t addressed it yet,” Frist said when asked how aggressively the Republican leadership would push for adoption.

A similar procedure was used — under a bipartisan agreement — to keep last year’s Pentagon spending measure alive after lawmakers voted to strip out arctic-drilling provisions.

Rules Committee Chairman Trent Lott (R-Miss.) expressed support for the new point of order yesterday, despite ceding ground on his original 50-vote threshold because of a committee amendment by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Still, he cautioned, “I hope it’s not abused.”

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a longtime critic of pork-barrel spending, also is getting behind the new point of order.

“Sunshine is the best disinfectant. If we subject earmarks to a budget point of order, it will force members to justify earmarks to other senators and the American people,” DeMint said through a spokesman.

The point of order was included in a package approved by the Rules Committee that would increase disclosure on privately funded congressional travel, restrict floor access for lawmakers who have become lobbyists, ban non-meal gifts and change the rules that govern how members and their aides are allowed to transition into lobbying jobs.

That bill is being combined with a measure approved by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that increases disclosure requirements for lobbyists and grassroots organizations. Democrats are likely to offer the text of their alternative lobbying-reform legislation as an amendment, according to a Democratic leadership aide.

That legislation would prohibit privately funded congressional travel, ban gifts from lobbyists, attach criminal penalties for efforts to exert partisan influence on private-sector hiring, adopt increased disclosure for lobbyists, and extend a waiting period on lobbying by former members and high-level staff from one year to two years.

Democrats are also considering a variety of piecemeal amendments targeted at those issues and others, the aide said.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) said yesterday that he would sponsor or support several amendments. That could include a second effort to establish an Office of Public Integrity to act as a clearinghouse for disclosures and investigate ethics complaints, a proposal that was rejected during Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs consideration of the bill.

Republican and Democratic leaders want to limit the scope of amendments adopted on the floor, hoping to prevent the measure from losing its focus on lobbying.

Lawmakers, aides and outside groups are watching closely to see if anyone opens up the politically sensitive issue of campaign-finance reform, which cuts across party lines. Any changes to current law could give one party or the other a leg up in future elections.

Lott said yesterday that if anyone raises a campaign-finance amendment he is ready to offer a second-degree amendment addressing largely unregulated “527” groups. The House GOP version of the lobbying-reform bill, which likely will be unveiled this week, contains a provision aimed at cracking down 527 activities.

Lott also warned yesterday that it is easy to “lose control emotionally” and become overzealous when Congress looks at its own operations.

But skeptics in the lobbying community are quick to point out that lawmakers are paying more attention to them than congressional operations.

“They certainly aren’t ratcheting down your ability to deliver a [campaign] check,” said one Republican lobbyist.

Congressional aides said yesterday that they expect the amendment picture to become clearer after lawmakers meet for lunch today.

It was not clear whether leading critics of Dubai’s involvement with American ports would offer an amendment. Israel Klein, a spokesman for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), declined to rule out that possibility.

“We’re obviously exploring all the options,” Klein said.