sub: BAN BRIBERY NOW! PLEASE POST TO ALL YOUR FAVORITE NEWSGROUPS, FIDONET, COMPUSERVE, ETC. ==============================================
BAN BRIBERY NOW! September 19, 1994
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Supporting S.1935, the Lobbyist Gift Ban Bill
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EDITORIAL

Congress says they can't be bought. But has anyone asked them if they can be rented?

This newsletter has been in hibernation for awhile, but only because Congress was in a dither over health care and unlikely to take action on the gift ban. We decided not to waste your time while Congress was running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Now that they have failed at health care, and now that we might not have to destroy Haiti to save it, one thing is clear. Congress doesn't have much to run on this November. This is our window of opportunity to get a strong bill pushed through.

Congress wasn't too busy to appoint a independent prosecutor to investigate Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. Apparently he accepted gifts of food and travel from companies regulated by his department. Congress banned gifts of any size in the Meat Inspection Act of 1907, so it was no secret this was illegal. But Mr. Espy couldn't break the habits he had established as a Member of Congress. Bribery in the Executive Branch is called a "friendly gift" in Congress.

Lobbyists will buy anyone who has the power to grant favorable regulations for their clients. Thanks to our efforts, the Senate bill puts Congress off limits in this one crucial area. We didn't start our efforts until the House bill was written, so it has some very weak spots. House and Senate negotiators are stuck on a couple of key points:

1) Baseball may be on strike, but the game of influence never stops. The House bill includes a "designated payer" rule, which says that any employee of the lobbyist's client company that eats with them can pay the bill. The Senate bill bans ALL gifts of meals by lobbyists and others. "NO FREE LUNCH FROM ANYONE."

2) This whole effort started because of seeing Senators and lobbyists skiing together at a weekend charity event. The House bill preserves free travel to charity events. The Senate bill bans paid travel to charity events. "WE PAY YOU TO GOVERN, NOT RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY. PAY YOUR OWN WAY WHEN YOU HAVE A VACATION."

Can we do it? Can we get the Ban Bribery shock troops mobilized for this last push? Can we Ban Bribery Now?

One key player in any fight is House Speaker Tom Foley. The House conferees are following his wishes in trying to gut the gift ban. Normally, you and I couldn't do anything to influence him, but Ban Bribery Now has discovered a pressure point.

Mr. Foley sued and overturned Washington State's popular term limit law, passed by initiative. In response, some residents of his 5th Congressional District formed a PAC, with the rallying cry of "De-Foley-ate Congress in '94," DF8 for short.

Please write Thomas Foley, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Explain that you support Senate bill 1935, banning all gifts to Members of Congress -- no free travel, no free meals. Tell him that if a strong gift ban like S.1935 isn't passed within three weeks, that you will hold him personally responsible. You will donate money to the PAC opposing him and tell all your friends.

This is one way for people who don't live in one of the conferees' districts to have a strong influence. DF8 has been getting nationwide coverage and is collecting a fair amount of money, which they will use in radio and television advertisements against Speaker Foley.

The threat this poses just may sway him to give in on the gift ban. Let's do it this week. If we lose the gift ban, then we can go after Foley!

The address is: Reform Congress 94 De-Foley-ate (DF8) PO Box 11481 Spokane, WA 99211-1481

Please also send a post card to S.1935 sponsor and chief Senate negotiator Sen. Carl Levin, saying, "California (or your state) wants you to get going and hang tough on 1935." U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510.

For those of you who are represented by one of these conferees or leaders, please phone them or write a postcard telling them to get with it and pass a strong gift ban. All area codes are (202). You can also call their local offices.

Rep. Bryant 225-2231, Rep. Synar 225-2701, Rep. Glickman 225-6216 Rep. Fish 225-5441, Rep. Gekas 225-4315, Rep. Gephardt 225-2671 Rep. Fazio 225-5716, Rep. Bonior 225-2106, Rep. Hoyer 225-4131 Sen. Levin 224-6221, Sen. Glenn 224-3353, Sen. Akaka 224-6361 Sen. Cohen 224-2523, Sen. Stevens 224-3004