Congress passed a sweeping lobbying and ethics reform bill Thursday, giving Democrats a rare victory in a legislative session often paralyzed by partisan skirmishing.
The cooperation may end at the White House, where the bill faces a presidential veto over what administration officials believe is weak language governing earmarks and lobbying and excessive regulation of campaign air travel by incumbent presidents running for re-election.
“We have some concerns with it,” a White House spokesman said. “We’re reviewing the legislation.”
But the bill may be veto-proof after breezing through the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 83-14 and the House on Tuesday by a margin of 411-8.
“Those are override numbers,” said Brendan Daly, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The bill would shine light on costly pet projects, known as earmarks, by requiring they be listed along with the sponsoring lawmaker on the Internet at least 48 hours before the Senate votes on a bill.
The bill also would require the twice-yearly disclosure of campaign contributions “bundled” by lobbyists and donated to federal candidates. It would prohibit lobbyists and their clients from giving gifts, including free meals and tickets, to senators and their staff. It also would bar lobbyists from paying for overnight trips taken by senators and their staff.
Similar restrictions on gifts and travel were written into the House rules earlier this year.
“This is the most significant ethics and lobbying reform bill since Watergate,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Several Republican senators were opposed to the bill because they believe the earmark language was watered down in a manner that will make it all but impossible for a senator to object to an earmark on the floor during debate.
The bill allows a Senate committee chairman or the Senate majority leader to certify that all of the earmarks in the bill have been properly disclosed, rather than leaving the job up to the Senate parliamentarian, as was proposed earlier this year.
“This allows the fox to guard the henhouse, and it makes a joke of earmark reform,” said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
The White House is upset by a provision that would require the president — and any member of Congress who travels with him — to pay charter rates for campaign stops. The administration also opposes a provision that would require incumbent presidential candidates to pay more money for campaign stops on Air Force One.
Currently, a president must reimburse the government for the cost of a first-class ticket while on the campaign trail.
