End the Revolving Door
End the Revolving Door and
Stop the Vote Buying
Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist, told CBS in 2012, “when we would become friendly with a [member's office] I would say to them… ‘you know, when you’re done working on the Hill, we’d very much like you to consider coming to work for us.’ The moment I said that… we owned them.”
​
“We owned them” is the definition of corruption.
​
Even if an elected official is not directly engaged by an Abramoff-like figure, everyone knows the game. How one votes and conducts business on the Hill has a huge impact on future job prospects. A rough average of 60% of all elected officials and staff transfer to lobbying after Congress, with an average pay increase of more than $2.4 million for congressmen.
Anger the pharmaceutical industry and you’re not going to get that big payout. Tough luck for the 1 in 4 Americans who can’t afford their Cancer medicine. Too bad for anyone with diabetes and has to pay 10x more for insulin than other Western countries.
With a pay increase as significant as $2.4 million, does anyone really think congressional members and their staff are putting the needs of the people before the needs of a future lobbying firm?
No, of course not. In Washington, the needs of lobbyists are first today, first tomorrow, and first every day.
We deserve better. We need to stop this.
There should be a lifetime ban on lobbying for former members of Congress, the President of the United States, Cabinet Secretaries, and all senior staff for said offices.
Being a public servant is about serving the public. It should not be a steppingstone to a life of riches – especially when that steppingstone is the back of the American people.
If we take away the lobbying career path, the considerations on how to vote on any given legislation changes overnight – a positive change for us, the people.