Second Congressman Explicitly Pledges Not To Become A Lobbyist
Earlier this week, Republic Report was the first to note that Tea Party Congressman Scott Rigell (R-VA) promised a crowdof constituents recently that he would not become a lobbyist after he retired, and that lawmakers should all take a pledge to impose a lifetime ban on influence peddling. “Lead by example,” Rigell exclaimed, to a
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In Georgia, Tea Partiers And Occupiers Unite To Fight Corporate Assault On The First Amendment
As we reported earlier this month, Waffle House executive and Georgia state senator Don Balfour is pushing a bill, SB469, that would prohibit picketing outside private residences, a law that would’ve put the Founding Fathers themselves in jail. The law is being pushed with the help of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Corporate America,
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VIDEO: Congressman Tim Holden Defends Vote To Deregulate Fracking
Congressman Tim Holden (D-PA) voted to deregulate the horizontal drilling industry, a process commonly known as “fracking,” by voting for the “Halliburton Loophole” placed by industry lobbyists. The law exempted the process from the Clean Water Act, allowing oil and natural gas companies to go about their business with little accountability. In many cases, local
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Senator Lieberman Honored By Ballroom Full Of Corporate Lobbyists Night Before Passing Watered Down Ethics Reform For Congress
Yesterday, Senator Joe Liberman’s (I-CT) STOCK Act passed the Senate. Though the legislation was originally designed to curtail insider trading in Congress, lawmakers stripped the bill down, removing provisions to add new powers for prosecutors, as well as a rule for Wall Street “political intelligence” firms to register as lobbyists. Strong improvements to the bill,
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Exposed: The Corporations Behind The Law That May Let Trayvon Martin’s Killer Go Free
It’s been widely reported today that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the shadowy corporate front group that unites state lawmakers with corporations to pass state laws favorable to corporate interests, helped pass the law that might allow Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, to escape prosecution. Florida’s “Stand Your Ground,” the law that might help
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VICTORY: Retiring Lawmaker Rep. Brad Miller Commits To Disclosing Any Job Negotiations With Lobbyists
Members of Congress who become lobbyists get huge paydays. A dozen lawmakers-turned-lobbyists we looked at got an average raise of 1,452%. So we sent a letter to the 35 retiring members of Congress asking them to disclose any job negotiations they’re having for their post-congressional careers — so at least the public would know what’s
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Democratic Congressman Blasts ‘Big Oil’ Then Fundraises With Lobbyist That Represents Exxon The Very Next Day
Representative Martin Heinrich is a Democratic Party member of Congress who is running for Senate this year. On Monday, he blasted the Republican 2013 budget proposal on Twitter, writing that it must have “thrilled” Big Oil: But the very next day, Heinrich held a fundraiser — where individuals attended at $500 a person and PACs
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The NRA And Corporate Front Group ALEC Pushed The Law That May Protect Trayvon Martin’s Killer
The tragic case of Trayvon Martin — a black teen who was gunned down by a man acting as a “neighborhood watch” volunteer who has yet to be prosecuted — is now a national outrage. Slate’s Emily Bazelon explains that part of the reason why Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, was not arrested by police is
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