Congress is debating a bill that would make it illegal for former members to do any lobbying for two years.
That would tighten the current law, which mandates a one-year cooling off period, although it does have a loophole, allowing former members to immediately work with lobbyists and clients to plot strategy.
That needs to change; otherwise it opens the door to undue influence. Watchdog group Public Citizen found that 43 percent of the members of Congress who left office between 1998 and 2004 went to work for lobbying firms.
The Senate has passed a bill that would prohibit former members of Congress from all lobbying activities for two years, and the House is expected to take up the issue next week as part of a larger lobbying reform bill.
The poster child for the bill, ironically, is former Sen. Conrad Burns, a Montana Republican, who last year declared "Congress is not for sale." As USA Today reported, his opponent pointed to Burns' cozy ties with a lobbying company called Gage. The firm, founded by Burns' former chief of staff, made money off projects sponsored by Burns, and Burns reaped campaign contributions through the company and its clients.
A day after he left office, Burns was named senior adviser at - guess where? - Gage.
The example of Burns' revolving door alone is enough reason for Congress to act this year to pass a tougher cooling-off period.
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