Robert Brady on Ethics

Official Website Statements

Government Reform and Accountability

The public's right to know what its government is doing is fundamental to a thriving democracy and critical to empowering the American people to play an active role in their government, and to giving them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger.

Plain Language Act (H.R. 946)
• To increase government accountability and save Americans time and money, this bipartisan bill requires federal agencies to use plain writing in certain government documents -- related to a federal service or benefit, tax documents, and documents that explain how to comply with a federal requirement.
• There is no reason why the federal government can't write these documents in a way we can all understand. We need to pass this bill to make it easier for Americans to work with and understand their government.
• The Plain Language Act would require the federal government to write new publications, forms, and instructions in a "clear, concise, and well-organized" manner that the intended audience can readily understand.
• Rep. Braley first introduced the Plain Language Act in 2007 as H.R. 3548 in the 110th Congress, which attracted bipartisan support and passed the House on April 14, 2008 by a vote of 376-1; the Senate never acted.

Electronic Message Preservation Act (H.R. 1387)
• This bill requires the Archivist of the United States to establish standards for the preservation of White House e-mails and requires the Archivist to issue regulations governing the preservation of e-mails by federal agencies. This bill is substantially similar to H.R. 5811 which passed the House on July 9, 2008, by a vote of 286-137.

Member’s Allowances for Deficit Reduction (H.R. 4825)
• The Sensible Steps Towards a Balanced Budget Act would make it permanent law to require amounts remaining in a Member's Representational Allowance after the fiscal year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction and to reduce the debt.
• This way we ensure that all funds authorized but left unused from congressional office accounts would be devoted to closing the budget gap.
• When congressional offices have worked hard to make every dollar count in these tough times, the federal budget and the American taxpayer should benefit. This common sense bill will address one of the biggest challenges this country faces without raising taxes or cutting services.
• With the country $12.5 trillion in debt after years of reckless borrow and spend policies under President Bush, the New Direction Congress is taking action, big and small, to put our fiscal house in order.

Passage of these bills will build on recent achievements in strengthening government accountability and transparency. Over the last three years, the New Direction Congress has put in place:
• Stronger Freedom of Information Act
- Better protecting the public’s right to know and make the government more transparent
• Unprecedented Recovery Act accountability & transparency
- Helping to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively—no earmarks
- New state whistleblower protections
- Strong oversight
- A new www.recovery.gov website allowing Americans for the first time to track the investments online
• Requirement that Members’ office expense report be placed online
• Democratic reforms for greater transparency and fairness
- Giving Members time to review legislation before voting on it
- Posting the text of amendments on the internet
- A ban on slipping in provisions into final conference agreements after the conference committee is done
• A new ban on earmarks for for-profit companies
• Requirements that every earmark be listed online, next to the name of the Member who requested it
• The landmark Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
- Demands an unprecedented level of disclosure on lobbying expenditures and contributions
• Statutory Pay-As- You-Go Law to restore 1990s law that turned record deficits into surpluses

Voting Record

The DISCLOSE Act

In June of 2010, the House voted to pass the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act or the DISCLOSE Act. It passed 219-206. Robert Brady voted in favor of the DISCLOSE Act.

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007

In July of 2007, the House voted to pass the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 by a 411-8 margin. The legislation enacted ethics rules for Congress and lobbying. Robert Brady voted in favor of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.

Rules Change on Earmarks

This resolution made a rules change that require all reported bills and conference reports considered in the House to include a list of earmarks and the name of the representative requesting each earmark. This applied not only to appropriations bills but also authorization and tax legislation. It passed by a margin of 245-171, but was not brought up for a vote in the Senate. Robert Brady voted against the resolution.

Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act

This is a series of ethics reforms put forth by the Republicans in response to the newly elected Democratic majority. It was never brought up for a vote in the Senate. Robert Brady voted against the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

In 2002 Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 which is better known by the names of its main sponsors John McCain and Russ Feingold. The legislation made changes to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to limit the use of "soft money." It passed the House 240-189 in February of 2002. Robert Brady voted in favor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold).

Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation

Session-111; Bill Number-H R 5175; DISCLOSE Act - Cosponsor

Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act or DISCLOSE Act. Regulations relating to campaign donations and disclosure requirements.

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