THAT’S DEBATABLE:Reforming ethics

House Democrats reportedly plan to propose a sweeping ethics reform package that could include a ban on accepting gifts, meals and travel paid for by lobbyists, and a pay-as-you-go budget that doesn’t allow new spending without making cuts somewhere else. Would you support these proposals, and do you think Democrats have a chance of passing major ethics reform?

The lobbying and gift bans proposed thus far by the Democratic majority are more about presentation than substance. They are not materially different from the restrictions passed under Republican control last year. The corruption that has happened in the past did not occur because a lobbyist bought someone a steak. It occurred because of the earmark process, which allows individual members of Congress to deliver millions of dollars of taxpayer money to private organizations with no accountability. If we want meaningful ethics reform instead of press releases, we should severely restrict or eliminate the earmark process.

The so-called paygo plan offered by Democratic leaders is essentially just a mechanism to force tax increases and justify more spending. The tax rate cuts since 2003 have substantially reduced the deficit, yet the paygo plan ignores this undisputed fact. If the leadership were serious about eliminating the deficit, they would support a spending limit and a balanced budget amendment with other process reform instead of this false proposal.

JOHN CAMPBELL

Congressman (R-Newport Beach)

In principle, the answer is yes, but you have to make sure, as in a lot of these things, there isn’t a devil in the details. But I would certainly be inclined toward supporting the basic goals of what’s set down there. The answer is yes as long as the details of the legislation don’t contain something that’s damaging. That’s the short answer.

The extended answer is this idea about not accepting meals or trips from lobbyists is just meaningless posturing on the part of the Democrats. This is ridiculous. The people providing meals and trips — a lot of these are fact-finding trips — always handle themselves through foundations and nonprofits…. It doesn’t come from lobbyists, and the Democrats, from what I understand, are not proposing any change in that. They’re proposing something that’s grandstanding and has little meaning when it comes to your interactions with lobbyists.

In terms of pay-as-you-go, that would be wonderful. I just can’t believe the Democrats would hold firm to that whatsoever. The only thing the Democrats are ever able to say no to in terms of spending is military spending…. Whenever they have some grandiose scheme that would have little impact but is good PR, yeah, Republicans are going to go ahead and vote for it, but let’s not kid ourselves that there’s going to be real reform.

DANA ROHRABACHER

Congressman (R-Huntington Beach)