'It is Critical That Congress Act Immediately to Address the Systemic Republican Culture of...

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616 'It is Critical That Congress Act Immediately to Address the Systemic Republican Culture of Corruption'

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent the following letter to Speaker Hastert yesterday afternoon urging him to take action to address the Republican culture of corruption that has pervaded the House by passing real lobbying reform, addressing Republican ethical abuses, and ensuring checks and balances in the legislative process.

In recent days, the Congress and the country have been inundated by Republican arrests, guilty pleas, bribery allegations, and resignations that provide detailed evidence of the Republican culture of corruption that pervades Washington. As a result, the American people are paying the price and have lost confidence in their elected officials.

Republican leaders finally claim they are willing to address lobbying reform, but that is only a part of cleaning up the systemic corruption that has prospered in the Republican Congress. Real lobbying reform is essential, but Congress must also take swift and credible actions to address the ethical abuses resulting from the rules and laws that have not been followed or enforced. And Congress must open the process of legislating so that the actions of Members and lobbyists are clear to the public.

That is why I call on you to take three immediate steps as soon as Congress reconvenes for the second session of the 109th Congress.

First, to restore the integrity of the House in the eyes of the American people, the conduct of those Members and staff whose unethical behavior has severely damaged the reputation of the Congress itself must be immediately and fully investigated.

For more than a year, as a result of your decision to replace the chairman of the Ethics Committee and then the professional staff of that Committee, there has been no functioning ethics process in the House. I urge you to join me in clearly stating to the Ethics Committee that it is our strong expectation that the committee will take all steps necessary to quickly initiate a fair and robust investigation of the alleged violations of criminal laws and the rules of the House by several Members, beginning with Congressmen Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, Richard Pombo, and John Doolittle. Media stories have contained allegations that each of these Members committed egregious violations of House rules.

Second, Republicans must join Democrats in the House of Representatives to make real and substantive reform that will prevent the abuses of power by Congressional Republicans.

When Congress reconvenes on January 31, I urge that, as our first order of business, you bring to the House floor the comprehensive reform package, entitled “Amending the Rules of the House to Protect the Integrity of the Institution.” This 14-point series of reforms, introduced by Congressmen David Obey, Barney Frank, David Price, and Tom Allen and endorsed by a majority of House Democrats, weakens lobbyist influence, strengthens fiscal discipline, curbs abuses of power, outlaws the use of earmarks to buy votes for questionable legislation, creates more time for serious Congressional oversight, and prevents last-minute legislative items from being slipped into conference reports between the House and Senate without a full public vote by the conference committee.

Finally, I urge you to move swiftly to repeal legislation written by special interests dealing with energy tax breaks, prescription drug prices and vaccine liability, all at great cost to American taxpayers and consumers. Specifically, I request a vote on:

* Legislation, introduced by Congressmen Brian Higgins, Edward Markey, and Tim Bishop, would repeal the $8 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil and gas companies experiencing historic profits, and use the money instead to ease the home heating costs for low-income families and seniors and energy costs for small businesses and farmers.

* Legislation, introduced by Congressman Marion Berry and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, to repeal the provision prohibiting Medicare officials from negotiating with drug companies for lower drug prices, which was inserted into the Medicare prescription drug bill at the insistence of the pharmaceutical industry. Congress must also conduct aggressive oversight hearings of the entire Medicare prescription drug legislation to remedy all the problems that are now abundantly clear as implementation proceeds.

* A repeal of the liability protection for the drug industry that was inserted in the avian flu package in the waning hours of the last session, just before Christmas. Congress must act to delete this last-minute special interest provision, which provides virtually unlimited liability protection to the drug, medical device, and related industries.

The American people deserve to know whether their federal representatives stand with them or with corporate special interests.

Mr. Speaker, it is critical that Congress act immediately to address the systemic Republican culture of corruption that has undermined the American people’s confidence in this institution. It is long past time for you to begin this effort.

Money from Ambranoff

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1555916/posts?page=7#2

Not just a GOP problem....(posted by mystery-ak http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1551333/posts?page=13#13)

* Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) Received At Least – $22,500
* Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) Received At Least – $6,500
* Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) Received At Least – $1,250
* Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Received At Least – $2,000
* Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Received At Least – $20,250
* Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Received At Least – $21,765
* Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) Received At Least – $7,500
* Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Received At Least – $12,950
* Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) Received At Least – $8,000
* Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ) Received At Least – $7,500
* Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) Received At Least – $14,792
* Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Received At Least – $79,300
* Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) Received At Least – $14,000
* Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Received At Least – $2,000
* Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) Received At Least – $1,250
* Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Received At Least – $45,750
* Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Received At Least – $9,000
* Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) Received At Least – $2,000
* Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) Received At Least – $14,250
* Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) Received At Least – $3,300
* Senator John Kerry (D-MA) Received At Least – $98,550
* Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Received At Least – $28,000
* Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) Received At Least – $4,000
* Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) Received At Least – $6,000
* Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Received At Least – $29,830
* Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Received At Least – $14,891
* Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Received At Least – $10,550
* Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) Received At Least – $78,991
* Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) Received At Least – $20,168
* Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) Received At Least – $5,200
* Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) Received At Least – $7,500
* Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) Received At Least – $2,300
* Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) Received At Least – $3,500
* Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) Received At Least – $68,941
* Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) Received At Least – $4,000
* Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) Received At Least – $4,500
* Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) Received At Least – $4,300
* Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Received At Least – $29,550
* Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Received At Least – $6,250
* Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) Received At Least – $6,250

Abramoff Lobbying & Political Contributions to Democrats,
per FEC Records
# # # # #

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte $423,480
Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte $354,700
Democratic National Cmte $65,720
Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) $42,500
Patty Murray (D-Wash) $40,980
Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) $36,000
Harry Reid (D-Nev) $30,500
Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) $28,000
Tom Daschle (D-SD) $26,500
Democratic Party of Michigan $23,000
Brad R. Carson (D-Okla) $20,600
Dale E. Kildee (D-Mich) $19,000
Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) $17,500
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) $15,500
Democratic Party of Oklahoma $15,000
Chris John (D-La) $15,000
John Breaux (D-La) $13,750
Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ) $13,600
Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo) $12,000
Mary L. Landrieu (D-La) $11,500
Barney Frank (D-Mass) $11,100
Max Baucus (D-Mont) $11,000
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) $10,000
Democratic Party of North Dakota $10,000
Nick Rahall (D-WVa) $10,000
Democratic Party of South Dakota $9,500
Democratic Party of Minnesota $9,000
Ron Kind (D-Wis) $9,000
Peter Deutsch (D-Fla) $8,500
Joe Baca (D-Calif) $8,000
Dick Durbin (D-Ill) $8,000
Xavier Becerra (D-Calif) $7,523
Tim Johnson (D-SD) $7,250
Democratic Party of New Mexico $6,250
Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) $6,000
David E. Bonior (D-Mich) $5,000
Jon S. Corzine (D-NJ) $5,000
Democratic Party of Montana $5,000
Fritz Hollings (D-SC) $5,000
Jay Inslee (D-Wash) $5,000
Thomas P. Keefe Jr. (D-Wash) $5,000
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md) $5,000
Deborah Ann Stabenow (D-Mich) $5,000
Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) $4,500
Tom Carper (D-Del) $4,000
Kent Conrad (D-ND) $4,000
Jerry Kleczka (D-Wis) $4,000
Sander Levin (D-Mich) $4,000
Robert T. Matsui (D-Calif) $4,000
George Miller (D-Calif) $4,000
Kalyn Cherie Free (D-Okla) $3,500
James L. Oberstar (D-Minn) $3,500
Charles J. Melancon (D-La) $3,100
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) $3,000
Cal Dooley (D-Calif) $3,000
John B. Larson (D-Conn) $3,000
David R. Obey (D-Wis) $3,000
Ed Pastor (D-Ariz) $3,000
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) $3,000
Richard M. Romero (D-NM) $3,000
Brad Sherman (D-Calif) $3,000
Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss) $3,000
Max Cleland (D-Ga) $2,500
Grace Napolitano (D-Calif) $2,500
Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif) $2,500
Bill Luther (D-Minn) $2,250
Gene Taylor (D-Miss) $2,250
Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) $2,000
Ken Bentsen (D-Texas) $2,000
Dan Boren (D-Okla) $2,000
Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn) $2,000
John D. Dingell (D-Mich) $2,000
Doug Dodd (D-Okla) $2,000
Ned Doucet (D-La) $2,000
Lane Evans (D-Ill) $2,000
Sam Farr (D-Calif) $2,000
John Neely Kennedy (D-La) $2,000
Carl Levin (D-Mich) $2,000
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) $2,000
Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) $2,000
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) $2,000
Adam Schiff (D-Calif) $2,000
Ronnie Shows (D-Miss) $2,000
Adam Smith (D-Wash) $2,000
Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif) $2,000
Mike Thompson (D-Calif) $2,000
Maxine Waters (D-Calif) $2,000
Peter DeFazio (D-Ore) $1,500
Norm Dicks (D-Wash) $1,500
John Kerry (D-Mass) $1,400
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) $1,000
Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif) $1,000
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) $1,000
Jim Costa (D-Calif) $1,000
Susan A. Davis (D-Calif) $1,000
Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) $1,000
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) $1,000
Tim Holden (D-Pa) $1,000
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) $1,000
Joe Lieberman (D-Conn) $1,000
Jim Maloney (D-Conn) $1,000
David Phelps (D-Ill) $1,000
Charles S. Robb (D-Va) $1,000
Brian David Schweitzer (D-Mont) $1,000
Pete Stark (D-Calif) $1,000
Gloria Tristani (D-NM) $1,000
Derrick B. Watchman (D-Ariz) $1,000
Rick Weiland (D-SD) $1,000
Paul Wellstone (D-Minn) $1,000
Ron Wyden (D-Ore) $1,000
Bob Borski (D-Pa) $720
Shelley Berkley (D-Nev) $500
Howard L. Berman (D-Calif) $500
Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) $500
Democratic Party of Washington $500
Barbara Lee (D-Calif) $500
Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif) $500

Grand Total $1,541,673

Posted by TAB

2 posted on 01/11/2006 8:00:51 AM EST by conservativecorner
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