Sponsors (2)
The bill tightens ethics rules and trims certain congressional perks to improve public trust and modestly reduce taxpayer costs, but it does so at the expense of former Members' ability to assist constituents, increased compliance burdens, potential loss of private‑sector expertise, and operational tradeoffs for travel and compensation policy.
All Americans/taxpayers: Reduces conflicts of interest by banning former Members from certain lobbying and barring House Members from serving on for‑profit boards, limiting opportunities for self‑dealing by current and former lawmakers.
Taxpayers: Lowers routine congressional costs by requiring coach travel for most official flights, removing routine facility perks for former Members, and ending automatic statutory pay increases for Members (savings are likely modest but recurring).
Public/taxpayers: Clarifies and strengthens post‑employment rules and increases enforcement tools and penalties, reducing legal ambiguity and deterring revolving‑door influence.
Constituents, researchers, nonprofits, and state/local governments: Limits former Members' ability to assist with casework, research, or advocacy by restricting communications with Congress and removing routine access to House facilities.
Former officials and hiring organizations: Imposes greater compliance costs, legal exposure, and potential criminal penalties for violations of new post‑employment restrictions, raising administrative burdens and hiring risk.
Voters and policymaking: Banning Members from for‑profit boards may discourage some private‑sector professionals from running for office and reduce lawmakers' access to private‑sector expertise and networks that inform policy.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits former Members from lobbying Congress, requires coach-class travel for most official trips, limits former Members' House benefits, ends automatic pay raises, and bars House Members from for-profit boards.
Introduced April 3, 2025 by Angela Craig · Last progress April 3, 2025
Prohibits former Members of Congress from lobbying or making influence-seeking communications to Congress on behalf of others after leaving office, restricts many travel perks by requiring coach-class air travel for most official trips, eliminates several House benefits for former Members, ends automatic congressional pay adjustments, and bars House Members from serving on for‑profit boards under the House rules. Several provisions take effect at different times: the lobbying ban applies to officials leaving office on or after enactment, travel limits start in fiscal year 2026, and new House rule changes become operative around the start of the next Congress.