madam chairman __PUNCT__ let me begin by thank you and senat lieberman for hold thi import hear todai __PUNCT__
there is no doubt that a crisi of confid exist in how congress is perceiv by the american peopl __PUNCT__
poll after poll reveal that a major of the american peopl see those us who serv in congress as the lowest of the low __PUNCT__
we need to fix that __PUNCT__
we need to restor the confid of the american peopl by prove to them that we can make tough decis and end corrupt practic __PUNCT__
we need to restor the confid of the american peopl in their govern __PUNCT__ not so that we can all stai in offic __PUNCT__ but so that our children and our grandchildren will have a trustworthi __PUNCT__ reliabl govern upon which thei can depend __PUNCT__
as you all know __PUNCT__ over the past year and a half __PUNCT__ the indian affair committe ha unearth a stori of excess and abus by former lobbyist of a few indian tribe __PUNCT__
the stori is alarm in it depth and breadth of potenti wrongdo __PUNCT__
it ha span across the unit state __PUNCT__ sweep up tribe throughout indian countri __PUNCT__
it ha taken us from tribal reserv across america to luxuri sport box here in town __PUNCT__ from a sham intern think tank in rehoboth beach __PUNCT__ delawar to a sniper workshop in israel __PUNCT__ and beyond __PUNCT__
it involv ten of million of dollar that we know about __PUNCT__ and like more that we do not __PUNCT__
much of what the committe learn wa extraordinari __PUNCT__
yet __PUNCT__ much of what we uncov in the investig wa unfortun the ordinari wai of do busi in thi town __PUNCT__
how these lobbyist sought to influenc polici and opinion maker is a case studi in the wai lobbyist seek to curri favor with legisl and their aid __PUNCT__
for exampl __PUNCT__ thei sought to ingrati themselv with public servant with ticket to plush skybox at the mci center __PUNCT__ fedex field __PUNCT__ and camden yard for sport and entertain event __PUNCT__
thei arrang extravag getawai to tropic island __PUNCT__ the fame golf link of st __PUNCT__ andrew __PUNCT__ and elsewher __PUNCT__
thei regularli treat peopl to meal and drink __PUNCT__
fundrais and contribut abound __PUNCT__
dure it investig __PUNCT__ the committe also learn about unscrupul tactic emploi to lobbi member and to shape public opinion __PUNCT__
we found a sham intern think tank in rehoboth beach __PUNCT__ delawar __PUNCT__ establish __PUNCT__ in part __PUNCT__ to disguis the true ident of client __PUNCT__
we saw phoni christian grassroot organ consist of a box of cell phone in a desk drawer __PUNCT__
i would submit that in the great marketplac of idea we call public discours __PUNCT__ truth is a premium that we cannot sacrific __PUNCT__
through these practic __PUNCT__ the lobbyist distort the truth __PUNCT__ not onli with fals messag __PUNCT__ but also with fake messeng __PUNCT__
mani cast blame onli on the lobbi industri __PUNCT__
but __PUNCT__ we should not forget that we __PUNCT__ as member __PUNCT__ ow it to the american peopl to conduct ourselv in a wai that reinforc __PUNCT__ rather than diminish __PUNCT__ the public faith and confid in congress __PUNCT__
becaus of the press need to address the cynic of the american public __PUNCT__ i introduc a bill to provid greater transpar into the process of influenc our govern __PUNCT__ and to ensur greater account among public offici __PUNCT__
the legisl doe a number of thing __PUNCT__
it provid for faster report and greater public access to report file by lobbyist and their employ under the lobbi disclosur act of __NUM__ __PUNCT__
it requir greater disclosur of the activ of lobbyist __PUNCT__ includ for the first time __PUNCT__ grassroot lobbi firm __PUNCT__
the bill also requir greater disclosur from both lobbyist __PUNCT__ and member and employe of congress __PUNCT__ about travel that is arrang or financ by a lobbyist or hi client __PUNCT__
to understand more thoroughli the action lobbyist take to influenc elect offici __PUNCT__ the bill requir lobbi firm __PUNCT__ lobbyist __PUNCT__ and their polit action committe to disclos their campaign contribut to feder candid and officehold __PUNCT__ their polit action committe __PUNCT__ and polit parti committe __PUNCT__
it further mandat disclosur of fundrais host __PUNCT__ co __PUNCT__ host __PUNCT__ or otherwis sponsor by these entiti __PUNCT__ and disclosur of contribut for other event involv legisl and execut branch offici __PUNCT__
to get behind anonym coalit and associ and discov who actual is seek to influenc govern __PUNCT__ the bill requir registr to list as client those entiti that contribut __MONEY__ or more to a coalit or associ __PUNCT__
the bill expressli keep intact __PUNCT__ howev __PUNCT__ exist law govern the disclosur of the ident of member and donor to organ design as __NUM__ __PUNCT__ c __PUNCT__ group under the intern revenu code __PUNCT__
i have read new report that the depart of justic is investig job negoti that some public offici mai have had with lobbi firm while still in govern __PUNCT__ negoti that mai have compromis their job perform __PUNCT__
i have long been concern with the revolv door between public servic and the privat sector __PUNCT__ how that door is spun for person gain __PUNCT__ and the corrupt influenc that can creep through that door into govern decis __PUNCT__ make __PUNCT__
to address the problem __PUNCT__ i am propos to expand the cool __PUNCT__ off period to two year for member of congress and senior staff __PUNCT__ and certain execut branch offici __PUNCT__
and __PUNCT__ to ensur a level plai field __PUNCT__ i am seek to close a loophol that ha exist in feder conflict of interest law for those who repres indian tribe __PUNCT__
to ensur complianc with congression restrict on accept gift __PUNCT__ the bill requir registr under the lobbi disclosur act to report gift worth __MONEY__ or more __PUNCT__
to more accur reflect the true valu of benefit receiv __PUNCT__ the bill also requir member of congress and staff to pai the fair market valu for travel on privat plane __PUNCT__ and valu sport and entertain ticket in skybox at the cost of the highest price ticket in the arena __PUNCT__
madam chairman and sen __PUNCT__ lieberman __PUNCT__ an inform citizenri is essenti to a thrive democraci __PUNCT__
and __PUNCT__ a democrat govern oper best in the disinfect light of the public ey __PUNCT__
the senat approach should be on of greater disclosur of and transpar into the interact of lobbyist with our public offici __PUNCT__
my legisl is intend to balanc the right of the public to know with it right to petit govern __PUNCT__ the abil of lobbyist to advoc their client __PUNCT__ caus with the need for truth public discours __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ the abil of member to legisl with the imper that our govern must be free from corrupt influenc __PUNCT__ both real and perceiv __PUNCT__
we must act now to ensur that the eros we see todai in the public confid in congress doe not becom a collaps of confid __PUNCT__
again __PUNCT__ thank you for hold thi import hear __PUNCT__ and thank you for give me the opportun to present my view __PUNCT__
