Results tagged “fisa” from Capitol Valley

The Clerk of the House wants to know who's paying for those trade associations lobbyists. The associations don't want to tell. Now they have to.

Last year's Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (aka the Lobbying Reform bill) requires coalitions and trade organizations that lobby to disclose who contributes at least $5,000 to their efforts per quarter. The National Association of Manufacturers was not too happy about this, since well...transparency would allow people to know who has been paying them to lobby against stuff like, the DTV transition and converter box subsidies.

Well, as CQ Politics reports, judges are just not buying the NAM's...bill of goods (sorry, I had to).

A federal judge Friday rejected the National Association of Manufacturers' request to delay enforcement of a new lobbying law requirement while the group appeals a decision last week upholding the mandate.

Under the 2007 law, umbrella lobbying groups such as NAM must file reports by April 21 that disclose every member that contributes at least $5,000 to lobbying efforts during a quarter and "actively participates in the planning, supervision or control of such lobbying activities."

U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly upheld that requirement in an April 11 ruling against NAM.

Interesting note, Judge Kollar-Kotelly is rather prolific. She is also:

A) The judge that extended the Microsoft antitrust consent decree earlier this year, and

B) The chief judge of the secret FISA court that oversees secret wiretapping warrants. I guess her tolerance for secrets only goes so far.

Someone's getting a Christmas card.

Following up on Alex's totally decent commentary on the WashPost's warrantless wiretapping piece, I thought I'd reprint the Valentine's Day card that House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent to President Bush regarding the expiration of the "Protect America Act" and Bush's fearmongering about FISA (the law, not the International Rowing Federation), telecom immunity and whining about his rubber stamp being out of ink:

President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The Preamble to our Constitution states that one of our highest duties as
public officials is to "provide for the common defence."  As
an elected Member of Congress, a senior Member of the House Armed
Services Committee, and Chairman of the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, I work everyday to ensure that our defense
and intelligence capabilities remain strong in the face of serious
threats to our national security.

(the rest of the letter after the jump)