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Democratic House Immediately Passes Broad Ethics Reform

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by gifford1967, Jan 5, 2007.

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  1. gifford1967

    gifford1967 Member
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    This is a good start.



    Democrats Take Control on Hill
    New Speaker Pelosi Shepherds Ethics Bills To Passage in House

    By Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray
    Washington Post Staff Writers
    Friday, January 5, 2007; A01



    Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was elected America's first female speaker of the House yesterday in a raucous, bipartisan celebration of a historic breakthrough, and hours later she presided over passage of the broadest ethics and lobbying revision since the Watergate era.

    Democrats took control of the House and Senate after 12 years of nearly unbroken Republican rule, with resolute calls for bipartisan comity and a pledge to move quickly on an agenda of health-care, homeland security, education and energy proposals. Sen. Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), the soft-spoken son of a hard-rock miner, took the helm of the Senate, after a closed-door session in the Capitol's stately Old Senate Chamber. But with the eyes of history riveted on her, it was Pelosi's day.

    .........

    In the House, Democrats did not skip a beat between formally taking control and getting to work on what they have called their hundred-hours agenda. Last night, the House nearly unanimously approved a broad package of internal rules changes designed to sever the cozy links that have developed between lawmakers and lobbyists.

    The changes would prohibit House members or employees from knowingly accepting gifts or travel from a registered lobbyist, foreign agent or lobbyist's client. Lawmakers could no longer fly on corporate jets. In addition, congressional travel financed by outside groups would have to be approved in advance by the House ethics committee and immediately disclosed to the public.

    The measures were approved 430 to 1, with only Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) voting against it. This was a remarkable change considering that House Republicans could barely pass a far weaker measure last May and ultimately did not enact any measure because they could not reach agreement with the Senate. But voters in November identified corruption as one of their primary concerns, and the House responded yesterday.

    "It's amazing what an election will do," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).

    Today, Democrats hope to pass new rules to promote open deliberations in the House, rein in special-interest spending and lawmaker pet projects, and prohibit passage of spending or tax measures that increase the federal deficit.

    Over the next two weeks, Democrats in the House plan to enact new homeland security measures, increase the minimum wage, allow federally funded stem cell research, permit the federal government to negotiate lower prescription-drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries, cut student-loan interest rates and fund alternative-energy research by rolling back tax breaks for oil companies.

    But Pelosi herself acknowledged that her carefully constructed consensus agenda will not satisfy the angry electorate that swept the Democrats to power. Democrats will have to confront President Bush on the larger, more controversial issues of the day: the war in Iraq, military tribunals that suspend the legal rights of terrorism suspects, and warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency.

    Her call yesterday for a new direction in Iraq "that allows us to responsibly redeploy American forces" elicited strong applause in her party while clearly splitting Republicans, many of whom joined the ovation.

    Reid also saw Iraq as the issue of the day and a possible impediment to Democratic plans.

    "Iraq is where it is," Reid said. He added: "We're not going to divert our attention from what needs to be accomplished for this country. There are a lot of things that need to be accomplished. And we're going to work on those, in spite of Iraq."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/04/AR2007010400802_pf.html
     
    #1 gifford1967, Jan 5, 2007
  2. mc mark

    mc mark Member

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    Nice!

    In 24 hours the Dems accomplished something the repubs weren't willing to do in 12 years!
     
    #2 mc mark, Jan 5, 2007
  3. basso

    basso Member
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    and gives William "cash in the freezer" Jefferson a stand O! way to fight that culture of corruption dems!

    http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/01/congressional-black-caucus-gives.html

    [rquoter]Congressional Black Caucus gives Jefferson standing ovation
    WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On the same day that the 110th Democratic-led Congress convenes with a plan to immediately pass lobbyist and ethics reforms, the Congressional Black Caucus Thursday gave a standing ovation to Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who faces an FBI probe into bribery allegations.

    "The haters... and negative nabobs...the people who spoke against him couldn't prevail against the people who spoke for him," Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, master of ceremonies for the CBC's celebratory event, said Thursday morning.

    Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, led the charge to remove Jefferson from the House Ways and Means Committee last spring and has said she will not consider reinstating him to the powerful post until he is cleared of all allegations.

    The FBI is currently conducting an investigation that alleges Jefferson accepted $100,000 from a telecommunications businessman -- $90,000 of which was later recovered in the congressman's freezer.[/rquoter]
     
    #3 basso, Jan 5, 2007
  4. gifford1967

    gifford1967 Member
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    I bolded the important part for you.
     
    #4 gifford1967, Jan 5, 2007
  5. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    [jorge]Note how all the conservatives FAIL to support this bit of GOOD NEWS.................they must be IN FAVOR of instiutionalized corruption[/jorge]
     
    #5 SamFisher, Jan 5, 2007
  6. Rockets2K

    Rockets2K Clutch Crew

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    L O L

    thats pretty sweet basso,
    you managed to PWN yourself. :p

    you might try actually reading the article you post next time
    to avoid this kind of embarrassment.
     
    #6 Rockets2K, Jan 5, 2007
  7. basso

    basso Member
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    ? i'm happy pelosi feels that way, assuming she still does, and they've passed ethics reform- it's long over due, and let's hope they live up to it. but it looks like for a significant portion of the dem caucus, it's "party on garth!" time.
     
    #7 basso, Jan 5, 2007
  8. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    Great start for the Dems ~ lets see if they can remain ethical.
     
    #8 KingCheetah, Jan 5, 2007
  9. El_Conquistador

    El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking

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    Gotta love how the CBC's master of ceremonies incorporates the word "haters" into the speech. LOL at the professionalism... :rolleyes:
     
    #9 El_Conquistador, Jan 5, 2007
  10. d.wang

    d.wang Member

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    ROFLMAO, I almost shat my pants when I read that...

    Haha, learn to read Bozzo. I mean, Bonzi... what was it?
     
    #10 d.wang, Jan 5, 2007
  11. basso

    basso Member
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    well let's see, here's someone else who's under investigation and is allowed to keep his chairmanship.

    http://www.wtov9.com/news/10680793/detail.html

    -------------

    Pelosi Discusses Mollohan, Ney Scandals

    POSTED: 3:10 pm EST January 5, 2007
    UPDATED: 7:13 pm EST January 5, 2007

    Former Congressman Bob Ney is headed to prison, but will still receive a $30,000 a year pension.

    West Virginia's Alan Mollohan is under investigation by the Justice Department, but will now chair a committee which oversees that same department.

    And in an interview with NEWS9, newly elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she's not ready to stiffen penalties against either of the men.

    Less than 24 hours after taking over as House speaker, Pelosi took NEWS9 cameras on a tour of the Capitol. There, she said she will still allow Mollohan to hold his powerful position which oversees the budget of the Justice Department -- the very people investigating his financial dealings.

    "Quite frankly, I think the Justice Department is looking into every member of Congress. I always say to everybody, 'You're now going to get a free review of your family tree -- past, present and future, imagined and otherwise,'" Pelosi said.

    With regard to Ney, Pelosi said she was not totally in favor of passing a law to cut off his pension.

    "When something like this happens, the wrongdoing of the member has an impact on the family, and that is one of the arguments against it," Pelosi said.

    However, the Ney case has played a role in Pelosi's plans this week. The House passed a bill Thursday night banning members of Congress from accepting gifts from lobbyists. Further, Pelosi assigned Ney's replacement, Democrat Zack Space, to introduce the new rule.

    Stay with NEWS9 for continuing politics coverage. For more, please
     
    #11 basso, Jan 5, 2007
  12. mc mark

    mc mark Member

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    Good for those 70 republicans! It's nice to see!

    1. Ethics
    2. 911 recommendations
    3. ?

    House passes 9/11 security bill

    WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The first item on the House Democrats' "100 hours" legislative agenda, a measure to implement some of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, passed on Tuesday evening.

    The vote was 299-128.

    Nearly 70 Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the package. It mandates full inspection of air and sea cargo entering the United States and shifts more homeland security funding to communities with high-risk terror targets. (Watch what House leaders plan to do in 100 hours )

    The House spent about six and a half hours of floor time considering the measure, which leaves about 93 hours and 40 minutes on the Democrats' 100-hour clock.

    http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/09/house.agenda/index.html
     
    #12 mc mark, Jan 9, 2007
  13. hotballa

    hotballa Contributing Member

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    Republicans are in ZERO postion to make these kinds of speculations after the 12 year party of pork.
     
    #13 hotballa, Jan 9, 2007
  14. halfbreed

    halfbreed Member

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    Interesting. After promising to implement ALL of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, we're supposed to cheer for the Democrats after passing SOME of them?

    I'm glad they did something on it but ... :confused:
     
    #14 halfbreed, Jan 9, 2007
  15. mc mark

    mc mark Member

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    It's called compromise. Something lacking in the past six years. You're right! It's not everything, but it's a start.
     
    #15 mc mark, Jan 9, 2007
  16. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Member
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    Absolutely right that it isn't everything. It is more than we had before, and it is something. Hopefully they can continue pushing for more.
     
    #16 FranchiseBlade, Jan 9, 2007
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