Rick O’Donnell, a Republican candidate for Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, on Tuesday issued a proposal for broad ethical reform in Congress.
The proposal comes on the heels of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and other controversies involving some members of Congress, several of them Republicans. Among other things, the proposal aims to eliminate vote-trading among members of Congress and bring more scrutiny to the actions of lobbyists and other influence-peddlers.
“I’m not running for Congress to join a house of ill repute,” said O’Donnell, currently executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. “I’m running for Congress because I want to serve the people in their house. And that’s not the case today.”
O’Donnell’s proposal spans 12 points, and he said he took some of the ideas from other plans put forth by members of Congress or think tanks. Among the most significant points, he said, is the proposal to eliminate vote-trading, which he said perpetuates pet projects. Vote-trading among members of Colorado’s Senate and House is barred, he noted.
O’Donnell’s plan also would require lobbyists to report with whom they’ve met and require advocacy groups to report from where their money is coming.
