Lobbying Regulation

H.R. 2093

Published on May 2, 2007 04:11 PM

File Under: Disclosure, Lobbying Regulation

Text of H.R. 2093, the new grassroots lobbying disclosure proposal introduced by Rep. Meehan.

Congressional Testimony: Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure

Published on February 28, 2007 11:33 PM

File Under: Disclosure, Lobbying Regulation

CCP Chairman Brad Smith's testimony on grassroots lobbying disclosure, delivered March 1, 2007 before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

POLICY PRIMER: Grassroots Lobbying Proposals Ignore Constitutional Protections for Anonymous Speech

Published on January 16, 2007 03:00 PM
by Steve Hoersting, Paul Sherman

File Under: Disclosure, Lobbying Regulation

Reform organizations are pushing grassroots lobbying disclosure and claiming that it will "not in any way restrict any lobbying activities."  But for over 60 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that stripping citizens of their rights to speak anonymously to each other about issues, chills their rights of speech and association.

POLICY PRIMER: Grassroots Lobbying Proposals Seem Not to Further Congress' Interest in Correcting Lobbying Abuses

Published on February 20, 2006
by Steve Hoersting, Brad Smith

File Under: Lobbying Regulation

Of the several policy proposals circulating Capitol Hill to correct lobbying abuses, strengthen the relative voice of citizens, and add accountability to the earmarking process, one policy prescription seems oddly out of place. Proposals for so-called “grassroots lobbying disclosure” do nothing either to sever the link between lobbyist cash and lawmakers’ pecuniary interests, or to strengthen the relative voice of citizens. Grassroots lobbying—encouraging or stimulating the general public to contact lawmakers about issues of general concern—is citizen-to-citizen communication that fosters citizen-to-lawmaker communication. It correspondingly weakens the relative strength of lobbyist-to-lawmaker communications, in furtherance of Congress’ objective in seeking lobbying reform.

Are PAC Contributions and Lobbying Linked? New Evidence from the 1995 Lobby Disclosure Act

Published on July 8, 2002
by Micky Tripathi, Stephen Ansolabehere and James M. Snyder

File Under: Lobbying Regulation, Political Committees & 527s

Business and Politics, 2002, vol. 4, issue 2
This paper uses newly available data from the 1995 Lobby Disclosure Act to assess the argument that PAC contributions are used to gain access to legislators.