{"id":2134833,"date":"2023-12-27T19:11:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T00:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/members-of-congress-who-stick-around-after-accepting-new-jobs-raise-ethics-concerns\/"},"modified":"2023-12-27T19:15:07","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T00:15:07","slug":"members-of-congress-who-stick-around-after-accepting-new-jobs-raise-ethics-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/members-of-congress-who-stick-around-after-accepting-new-jobs-raise-ethics-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Members of Congress who remain in office after accepting new jobs raise ethical concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmembers-of-congress-who-stick-around-after-accepting-new-jobs-raise-ethics-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2134833&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Concerns Raised Over Lawmakers Accepting New\u200b Jobs While Remaining in Congress<\/h2>\n<p>Ethics watchdogs\u200d are sounding the alarm about\u2064 members of \u200bCongress who continue to serve while pursuing alternative employment opportunities. \u2063The lack of transparency \u2062in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-masked-attendants-carry-unmasked-aocs-tax-the-rich-dress-as-she-leaves-met-gala\/\" title=\"WATCH: Masked Attendants Carry Unmasked AOC\u2019s \u2018Tax The Rich\u2019 Dress As She Leaves Met Gala\">congressional ethics rules<\/a> regarding job negotiations and outside employment has come under scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>The number of House lawmakers leaving their seats ahead of the next congressional session has reached 42, \u200baccording to the House press gallery.\u200d This includes retirements, resignations, \u200cand deaths. The \u200dlist for senators stands at eight. However, not all of these members are leaving office\u2063 immediately, even after announcing their next career move.<\/p>\n<h3>Examples of Lawmakers Transitioning to New Roles<\/h3>\n<p>For instance, Rep. \u2063Bill \u200dJohnson (R-OH) revealed in late November that he would step down in 2024 to become president of Youngstown\u2063 State University. Rep. Brian\u200d Higgins \u2064(D-NY) also announced in November that he would not complete \u2064his term, opting instead to lead the Buffalo Performing\u200b Arts Center starting\u2062 in February. Sen. Ben Sasse \u200bresigned \u2064in January to assume the presidency\u2062 of the\u200c University of Florida, a position he accepted in October 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Craig Holman, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-says-ex-usaid-pandemic-official-sent-taxpayer-money-to-his-own-private-project\/\" title=\"Watchdog Says Ex-USAID Pandemic Official Sent Taxpayer Money to His Own Private Project\">government affairs lobbyist<\/a> at Public Citizen,\u200d highlighted the ethical concerns that arise when lawmakers remain in office while pursuing \u200bemployment with \u2063another employer.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe privilege\u2063 of serving in Congress entails a\u200b sworn duty to represent the public\u2019s interest. But if \u200bthe \u200bmember is simultaneously\u2062 obliged to represent a private employer, that member is wearing two hats: one to represent the public\u2019s interest,\u200c yet another to represent their own financial interest and that of the private\u2064 employer,\u201d Holman said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, passed in 2007, requires retiring representatives who plan to work after leaving Congress to notify\u2062 the House Ethics Committee within three days of initiating employment negotiations. Disclosures are \u2062made public only when accompanied by a commitment to recuse from potential\u200b conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n<p>The rules differ in the\u200b Senate, where lawmakers\u2063 are prohibited from negotiating jobs involving lobbying until\u200d their successor is elected. For \u200bnon-lobbying positions, outgoing senators must \u200bnotify the\u2064 Senate secretary of negotiations within three days.<\/p>\n<p>Holman&#8217;s 2017 report revealed that out of \u2064408 lawmakers who retired, resigned, or lost their elections between 2007 and 2017, only 16 disclosed negotiations for future employment.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe damage caused by the conflict of interest could be significantly mitigated\u200c if the outside employment were \u200cfully disclosed and the member recused themselves from \u2063any official actions that\u2063 could benefit the private employer. But congressional ethics rules require\u200c neither,\u201d Holman added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In the \u2064last Congress, the committee received 101 recusals and 287 negotiation disclosures from lawmakers and staff. However, only one employment negotiation disclosure\u200b from former\u2062 North\u2062 Carolina Democratic Rep. David Price,\u2064 now a professor at Duke University, and one recusal\u200d notice from former Texas Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, a \u2064partner at a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., were\u2064 made available to the public.<\/p>\n<p>When lawmakers reconvene in January, they are expected to vote on appropriations bills that include funding\u2064 for public universities. This could pose a conflict of interest for lawmakers transitioning to positions at public universities or entities receiving federal funding.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWhose interest will prevail in the\u200d course of official congressional\u200d duties is a matter of \u2063speculation \u2064and doubt, further eroding the public\u2019s confidence in Congress,\u201d Holman expressed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>However, experts note that certain types of jobs raise more concerns than others.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIf you\u2019re going to be a professor, that doesn\u2019t really seem like a \u2063big conflict,\u201d said Daniel Schuman, governance director at POPVOX Foundation. \u201cBut if you\u2019re\u200c going to work at a\u2064 lobby shop \u2026 more conflicts could arise.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why do some argue that lawmakers should be prohibited from accepting new employment while still serving in \u200dCongress<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ers are not required to notify the Senate \u200dEthics\u2064 Committee of post-congressional employment \u200bnegotiations. However, senators are required to disclose outside income and\u2062 potential conflicts of interest\u200d in annual financial\u200c disclosure forms.<\/p>\n<p>This lack of transparency\u200d has raised concerns among ethics watchdogs who argue \u200dthat it creates potential conflicts\u2064 of interest and \u200dundermines trust \u200din the legislative process. Critics argue that lawmakers may prioritize the interests of their future employers over the needs of their\u2064 constituents, compromising their ability to make impartial decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Another concern is the \u2064potential for lawmakers to use their position and influence to secure lucrative job opportunities. Former \u200blawmakers often move into lobbying \u200cor consulting roles where they can leverage their\u2062 connections and knowledge gained during their time\u2064 in office. This revolving door between Congress and the private sector \u2063has long been criticized for its potential to breed corruption and undue influence.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u2063the timing of some lawmakers&#8217; career transitions has \u2064also raised eyebrows. Waiting until the end of a \u200bterm to announce plans to leave office and take up a new\u2062 position can be seen as a\u200b way to\u200d avoid scrutiny and potential \u200bbacklash from constituents.<\/p>\n<p>In response to these concerns, some have called for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calling-clarence-thomas-to-testify-could-ignite-defcon-one-judiciary-impasse\/\" title=\"Calling Clarence Thomas to testify could ignite 'DEFCON one' judiciary impasse\">stricter ethics rules<\/a> and disclosure requirements for lawmakers. They argue that greater transparency is necessary to ensure that\u200d elected officials\u2062 prioritize the public interest and avoid\u200d conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n<p>Others argue \u2063that lawmakers should be prohibited from accepting new employment while still serving in Congress. They believe that\u2063 legislators should focus solely on\u200c their duties\u2063 as representatives \u2063and not be distracted or influenced by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-milestone-biden-administration-wipes-out-5-8-billion-of-student-loan-debt-from-corinthian-colleges\/\" title=\"\u2018A Milestone\u2019: Biden Administration Wipes Out .8 Billion Of Student Loan Debt From Corinthian Colleges\">potential job opportunities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these\u2064 concerns, it is important to note that transitioning \u200cfrom Congress to a new \u200bcareer is not inherently unethical. Many former\u200c lawmakers contribute valuable expertise and knowledge to their new roles and continue to serve the public in \u200cdifferent capacities. However, it is essential to maintain transparency and ethical standards to ensure\u200b that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-censures-democrat-who-pulled-fire-alarm-during-vote\/\" title=\"Democrat censured for pulling fire alarm during vote\">legislative process remains fair<\/a>, \u2062impartial, and free from\u2062 undue influence.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200b conclusion, the issue of \u2063lawmakers accepting new jobs while remaining in Congress has raised concerns among ethics watchdogs. The \u2063lack of transparency in congressional ethics rules regarding job \u200dnegotiations and outside employment has come under scrutiny. Critics argue that \u2062this practice can \u2063lead to potential\u200b conflicts of \u200cinterest and\u2064 undermine trust in the legislative process. Stricter ethics rules and disclosure \u200drequirements have been proposed to address these concerns. Maintaining transparency and ethical standards is crucial to ensure that lawmakers prioritize the public interest and avoid compromising their duties as \u2063representatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ethics watchdogs worry about lawmakers staying in Congress while taking new jobs, exposing the opaque rules on alternative employment and negotiations. Several House members have chosen to vacate their seats before the upcoming term, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2134834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2134833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2134833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2134833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2134833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2134834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2134833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2134833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2134833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}