Congress votes to ban its own members from lobbying—with a waiver.

What it does

This bill imposes a lifetime ban on former Members of Congress from lobbying Congress, extends the existing 6-year cooling-off period for other federal employees, creates a searchable public database of lobbyist disclosures (lobbyists.gov), bars registered lobbyists and foreign agents from being hired by Congress members or committees they lobbied within 6 years, requires large lobbying firms to disclose former government officials on their payroll, and increases penalties for lobbying violations from $250,000 to $500,000. The stated goal is to reduce the 'revolving door' between government service and private lobbying.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is restricting post-government lobbying and mandating disclosure of lobbying activities and conflicts of interest. It is fundamentally an accountability and anti-corruption measure, not a subsidy, deregulation, or private benefit.

What the text implies

• The Ethics Committee waiver provision (Section 5) allows Congress to exempt registered lobbyists from the 6-year ban on a 'compelling national need' standard—a vague threshold that could be exploited to permit high-profile lobbying hires despite the stated intent.
• The $100,000 appropriation for lobbyists.gov is minimal relative to the database's scope; underfunding may result in a poorly maintained, unsearchable platform that fails to achieve transparency goals.
• Substantial lobbying entities (firms with 3+ registered lobbyists) must disclose former government officials earning $100k+ or holding senior titles, but the definition excludes lower-paid former staffers and consultants, creating a disclosure gap.
• The bill does not restrict lobbying by foreign agents hired by Congress members directly—only their hiring by Congress; foreign influence on legislative staff remains largely unaddressed.
• Enhanced penalties ($500k) apply to lobbying disclosure violations, but enforcement depends on US Attorney for DC resources and political will; underfunded or deprioritized enforcement may render penalties symbolic.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts the ability of former elected officials and senior government employees to profit from immediate access to Congress, increases transparency of lobbying activities and conflicts of interest, and strengthens enforcement. These measures reduce corruption risk and improve democratic accountability, though the Ethics Committee waiver provision creates a potential loophole.

Named in the bill

Members of Congress, Senate Select Committee on Ethics, House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Secretary of the Senate, Clerk of the House of Representatives, US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Title 18 USC Section 207, lobbyists.gov

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 7 Democrats.

• May 21, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 21, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.