Press Releases

Washington, DC--- Today, after House ethics committee documents revealed inquires into more than 30 lawmakers, Congressman Paul Hodes called on House leadership to bring his bill, the CLEAR Act, to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. Congressman Hodes is the author of the Clean Law for Earmark Accountability Reform, which would ban lawmakers from taking campaign contributions from companies on whose behalf they have requested earmarks.

"The ethics committee’s inquiries clearly show that ethics reform is long overdue," said Congressman Hodes. "The American people deserve better. Legislators should not be able to request earmarks for companies or organizations with one hand while accepting their campaign contributions with the other. It is critical that we end this practice by bringing the CLEAR Act to a vote. Will we continue business as usual in Washington, or stand up and fight for real change? It’s time to hold lawmakers to a higher standard."

The Clean Law for Earmark Accountability Reform (CLEAR) Act would ban Congressional campaigns from accepting campaign contributions from any senior executive or registered lobbyist representing an entity for which a Member of Congress has requested earmarked federal funding in that election cycle.  

This policy includes the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, or Chief Financial Officer. 

Currently, there is no rule that prohibits a Member’s campaign from accepting campaign contributions from organizations for which the Member is making appropriations requests. This practice has the potential to create at least the appearance of impropriety, and at worse, an ethical and legal dilemma. Worse still, the mixture of earmarks and campaign contributions can erode the people’s confidence in the actions and motivations of their elected representatives. 

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