Democrats Also Jump on 'Reform' Bandwagon
(CNSNews.com) - Democrat leaders on Wednesday will announce an ethics reform package of their own -- the "Honest Leadership Act," as they call it. The Democrat reform plan comes one day after Republican leaders proposed a ban on privately funded travel and gifts to lawmakers.
Among other things, the Democrat plan will call for all members of Congress and congressional staffers to stop accepting gifts from lobbyists.
Press reports said Reid and Pelosi are among the Democrats who have instructed their staffs to stop accepting gifts from lobbyists, even before the reform plan is introduced.
In a statement posted on his website Tuesday, Sen. Reid said, "The idea of Republicans reforming themselves is like asking John Gotti to clean up organized crime."
Reid said he thought he'd seen the last of corruption "when I helped clean up Las Vegas 30 years ago."
"Some problems have no legislative fix, and the Republican culture of corruption is one of them," Reid said.
He called Republican reform proposals "minor wrist slapping" and "good public relations stunts" by the people responsible for the mess.
"Democrats will lead the tough reforms," Reid promised, "because we owe it to the American people to stand up for their interests over special interests.
"Are we really going to believe that Republicans will stop answering the calls from their friends on K Street? Are they really going to put seniors ahead of drug companies when it comes reforming Medicare? Are they really going to help families over oil companies when it comes to gas prices?
"The answer to these questions is no, and that's why the American people trust Democrats to clean up Washington and put their interests first," Reid said.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said the Republican reform proposal does nothing more than stick a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.
"The Republican proposal fails to address the serious ethical abuses resulting from violations of existing rules and laws designed to curb corruption; it does nothing to restore an open, democratic process to the floor of Congress; and it leaves totally intact the Republican K Street Project that trades lobbyist jobs for special legislative favors," Pelosi said.
The Democrats, on the other hand, "are fighting for real reform," including greater "transparency and openness of government and enforcing the rules and laws already on the books," Pelosi said.
She did not offer any details of the Democrat plan.
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