WASHINGTON — Hoping to stem the political damage from a spate of embarrassing scandals, the House voted Wednesday to tighten rules governing lobbyists but stopped short of a ban on free trips or gifts for lawmakers.
The close vote on the measure -- 217 to 213, largely along party lines -- reflected criticisms by Democrats that the bill, intended to address Congress' ethically tarred image, would do little to change the way business is conducted on Capitol Hill.
Much of the legislation is aimed at increasing public disclosure by lobbyists. It would require them to file reports on their activities quarterly instead of twice a year and to provide more information on their political contributions.
Penalties for violating the rules would include, for the first time, the possibility of jail time.
The measure would suspend privately funded travel for House members, but only temporarily while an ethics panel comes up with new regulations for such trips. It would also deny congressional pensions to lawmakers convicted of abusing the public trust and require a public accounting of projects tucked into spending bills, often at the behest of lobbyists.
But the House declined to follow the lead of the Senate, which last month voted to prohibit its members from accepting gifts or meals from lobbyists.
Under election-year pressure to pass an ethics package, the two chambers will next attempt to negotiate a final version.
Proponents hailed Wednesday's vote as a crucial step toward restoring public confidence in government, which one recent poll showed hovered at 22%. They accused those who voted against the bill of standing in the way of change.
The House bill would help give the public "a Congress that is more responsible and more accountable to the people it represents,'' said House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).
"A vote against this bill is a vote against reform. No way around that,'' said Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), chairman of the House Rules Committee and the legislation's sponsor.
Dreier said the bill's opponents were "absolutely intent" on stressing what the bill lacked, accusing them of "searching for clouds on a clear day."
But critics said the measure merely masqueraded as remedy, and that it would do little to curtail the sometimes cozy relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists.
