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(Harry) Mitchell to help spearhead D.C. ethics reforms
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| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Edited | Thomas Walker Nov 23, 2006 09:45pm |
| Category | General |
| News Date | Nov 23, 2006 09:00pm |
| Description | Rep.-elect Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., will play a key role in Democratic lobbying-and-ethics-reform legislation, the Washington Post's Jonathan Weisman reports.
The majority Democrats will build a wide-ranging package on the House floor, with Mitchell doing his part. During the recently concluded campaign, Mitchell constantly pummeled incumbent Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., over his links to corrupt Capitol Hill lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
"We heard continually out here that people were tired of the way business is conducted in Washington," said Rep.-elect Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.). "They didn't like the way lobbyists had so much influence. They didn't like the way rules were not enforced. They just didn't think things were being done right."
The idea is to give each provision what (Rep. Rahm) Emanuel (D-Ill.) called its "Warhol time" -- 15 minutes of fame -- while forcing Republicans to take a stand on the components before a final vote on the ethics package. Because House rules changes are, by tradition, party-line votes, breaking the package into its components would also allow Republicans to support individual amendments, even though they probably would vote against the package in the end.
The unorthodox approach, more reminiscent of the drawn-out legislating done in the Senate than the slam-dunks of the House, would also give Democratic leaders a chance to show that they plan to change the way the House does business, Democrats said. |
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