When the Senate passed its lobbying reform bill last Friday it banned gifts, meals and travel paid for by lobbyists or the organizations that employ them.
The House had already curtailed lobbyists’ influence by adopting some changes to its operating rules. If it agrees to the Senate bill, and the bill becomes law, it will be the strictest curtailment of lobbyist power in over a decade.
It is not likely to make life for the staffers any easier, though.
For example, among the provisions in the Senate bill is a section barring Senate staff members from having “any official contact” with the husband or wife of a senator if the spouse also happens to be a paid lobbyist. The ban extends to committee staff and, in addition to spouses, to other members of a senator’s immediate family, including children, parents and in-laws.
Having an excuse to not talk to the in-laws of the boss might be a blessing but having even more rules governing how you handle the spouse of the person who controls your career is bound to be stressful. One envisions whispered cell phone calls asking whether the bos’’s significant other is paid to advocate against global warming mandates before bringing up the weather over canapés at the office Christmas party.
Of course, there are exceptions to the no-contact rule. It does not apply to a number of lucky husbands and wives who were registered lobbyists for a year or more before they were married or before their senator spouse was elected.
Among the fortunate few falling into this category are Bob Dole, a former senator and husband of Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C. According to Political Money Line, he lobbies for DP World FZE, Cordus Corp., Forest Products Research Laboratory, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, and Syngenta Corp. Kim Dorgan and Lucy Calautti, who are married respectively to Sen. Byron Dorgan and Sen. Kent Conrad — the two Democratic Senators from North Dakota — lobby for the American Council of Life Insurers and Major League Baseball respectively.
There are 55 other Senate spouses whose separate incomes have been listed on federal disclosure reports. Most are not lobbyists and won’t fall under the rule. The restriction also does not apply, as yet, to spouses of members of the House of Representatives though insiders have told The Examiner that the House is more likely than not to adopt additional new Senate-inspired strictures.
Dee Ann Divis is the business editor of The Washington Examiner. Contact her at [email protected]
