The Hill News

President Obama’s call for online reporting of meetings between elected politicians and lobbyists is welcome news for a public demanding greater accountability and transparency in government.

At present, public disclosure under the Lobbying Disclosure Act is vague and of limited utility. Reports identify which federal agency or House of Congress is the target of lobbying, but the relevant details -- who said what to whom and when -- remain unknown.

Currently, the public is only made aware that lobbyist Hatfield is communicating with unknown members of the House of Representatives on H.R. 1776. It would be more edifying to learn that Hatfield met with Rep. McCoy three times during the past two months. Perhaps Hatfield and McCoy went to college together or used to work at the same law firm. Citizens have a right to know the details of who is lobbying whom to ensure a truly transparent process.

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