Corporations and their lobbyists have declared war on America. They seek to corrupt our elected government and threaten to bring down the strongest democracy on Earth. Democracies only survive if there is popular support for them. This corruption is a direct threat to our nation.
The freshly passed bill in the House will require House and Senate members to disclose lobbyists' names who raise $15,000 or more for them within a six-month period. Campaigns last longer than six months, so a single bundler could over the life of a Presidential campaign donate nearly $60,000 ($15,000 every 6 months) and never disclose the source of the money.
One provision would allow the majority party's leaders -- and not the Senate parliamentarian as previously proposed -- to rule on whether the "earmark" disclosure requirements have been satisfied.
So earmarks can still slip if the party leadership turns a blind eye.
I expect more results from this Congress. They have a crises, and it is rampant corruption. I don't believe there are a few bad apples. I believe there are a few bushels of bad apples. The entire orchard is littered with bad trees.
For every one of these members of Congress who are caught in crimes, there must be scores more who get away. The House and Senate rules and idle ethics committee encourage corruption. There is a culture of corruption. It is in both parties. And it must be stopped.
Here are those currently under investigation:
### House Republicans: ###
*Don Young of Alaska: Under federal corruption investigation, including his campaign finance practices.
*John Doolittle of California: Home searched by the FBI in April. Among wife's business clients was jailed GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
*Jerry Lewis of California: Prosecutors examining dealings with lobbyists and contractors.
*Gary Miller of California: FBI agents have interviewed officials in two towns that purchased property from Miller.
*Rick Renzi of Arizona: FBI agents raided wife's insurance business amid questions over funding of his first congressional campaign.
### Senate Republican: ###
*Ted Stevens of Alaska: Under investigation for his relationship with contractor convicted of bribery.
### House Democrats: ###
*William Jefferson of Louisiana: Awaiting trial on federal charges of taking more than $500,000 in bribes.
*Alan Mollohan of West Virginia: Stepped down from House ethics committee amid probe of federal funds he helped steer to non-profit groups he founded.