Dear Committee Member:
On behalf of the more than 350,000 members of the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I urge you to seriously reconsider the purported "need" to construct burdensome grassroots lobbying regulations such as those found in S. 2128, the so-called "Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act." Stifling grassroots organizations that encourage everyday Americans to become involved in the democratic process will not solve the weaknesses in our political and budgeting system that were flagrantly exploited in recent lobbying scandals.
Looking at some of the more stringent requirements of S. 2128, one would think that the recent lobbying scandals were almost wholly the result of hyper-active citizens who live outside the Beltway. Section 105, for example, would disproportionately target organizations that activate Americans to participate in a spirited public debate. Should this section be enacted, public interest groups across the political spectrum could look forward to registering as "grassroots lobbyists" and filing itemized disclosure reports for grassroots expenditures (in the case of "large" expenditures an unreasonable 20-day filing deadline would apply). Yet grassroots activity was never at the heart of the recent lobbying scandals; this bill is an unnecessary solution for a nonexistent problem.
Congress regularly relies on non-profit, grassroots organizations to conduct educational research that Members can then use while drafting bills, holding hearings, or giving floor speeches. It is natural that many of these organizations also use this same research to educate and persuade others about their findings. However, Section 105 would define "grassroots lobbying activities" to include "preparation and planning activities, research and other background work that is intended, at the time it is performed, for use in grassroots lobbying." Is it truly Congress's intent to deprive Members of valuable input they use for their own work, by making reporting requirements so onerous that they deter groups from undertaking research in the first place?
Americans have a right guaranteed by the Constitution to petition their government, and this includes the ability to support organizations that lobby Congress. Taxpayer activists in particular have traditionally relied heavily on mobilizing like-minded citizens to convince often-reluctant lawmakers to show fiscal restraint. Instead of punishing groups who seek to invigorate public policy, we hope you will focus your lobbying reform efforts on creating a budget process that better serves taxpayers and isn't prone to abuse by Members or staffers seeking to curry favor with ingrained special interests.
Sincerely,
John Berthoud
President