Lobbyist Offers Make Jaws Drop
WASHINGTON — It is hard to shock people in Washington with tales of powerful people who parlay their expertise and influence into well-paying jobs in the private sector. But the revolving door has spun to a new level lately, raising even the most jaded of eyebrows.
For months, the motion picture and prescription drug industries have been wooing Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.), offering big bucks for him to come lobby on issues that he has overseen as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
With critics -- including some fellow Republicans -- wincing at the appearance of a conflict of interest, Tauzin resigned last week as committee chairman and announced he would not run for reelection this year, citing health concerns.
"For him to continue to run the committee while he's an active candidate for [the drug industry job] -- that really is a no-no," said one lobbyist, who is a renowned wheeler-dealer himself.
The offer, to be head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, has been particularly controversial because that group was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the bill Tauzin helped write last year to provide prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
Ken Johnson, Tauzin's spokesman, said that -- contrary to allegations by consumer groups and others -- there had been no discussion of the chairman's working for the group while the Medicare bill was being written. He said Tauzin had done nothing improper because he was not soliciting job offers and had been scrupulous about complying with House ethics rules. Even before announcing he would step down as committee chairman, Johnson added, Tauzin recused himself from health issues to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The flap comes just two months after the Bush administration's top Medicare official, Tom Scully, left his post to join a law firm -- where he is expected to bring his knowledge of the new prescription drug law to a lucrative practice specializing in healthcare. Congressional staff members who helped write the law also have taken their expertise into the private sector.
The controversy spotlights an especially murky area of ethics in the nation's capital. Congressional rules impose few limits on the ability of powerful people to look for private-sector jobs while they still hold public office.
