Editorial: Fast action on ethics

Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007 | 7:34 a.m.

Under Republican control, the House last year was only paying lip service to the voters when it pledged to reform congressional ethics rules in the wake of the scandals perpetrated by now imprisoned former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Little in the way of real reform was ever passed. And because what did pass was so weak, no agreement could be reached with the Senate, and the opportunity for reform became lost.

On Thursday night, however, ethics reform was the first order of business under the new Democratic leadership.

A Democratic proposal to change a House rule was put up for a vote in hopes of preventing the kinds of cozy relationships and conflicts of interest that have existed between lobbyists and many House members.

Perhaps understanding the mood of the voters, Republicans overwhelmingly supported the Democrats' proposal, which passed 430-1. The new rule bans lawmakers from knowingly accepting gifts and free trips from lobbyists, their clients or foreign agents. The days of flying free or for discounted rates on corporate jets are also over.

And on Friday the House changed its long-standing rule that allowed members to sneak "earmarks," or pet projects, into larger bills. From now on, earmarks will have to be publicly disclosed. Alaska's notorious "bridge to nowhere" was an earmark in the former tradition.

We believe the House's actions give promise that a larger ethics reform bill, affecting the whole Congress, can now be agreed upon with the Senate.