In an editorial published in Quad City Times June 22, Congressman Dave Loebsack announced that he has joined with fellow Congress member David Cicilline from Rhode Island to introduce legislature that would bar former members of congress from becoming lobbyists in their post-congressional life.

No doubt readers of this post will join me in a cheer and a a hearty good luck for a law that is desperately needed. This should be almost a condition of employment – that no one should be allowed to trade on their public service. That includes members of congress, the administration and on down to state and local governments. Using public office as a springboard to great wealth is legal, but so unethical and immoral.

Sadly, expecting those who greatly profit by the current system to recognize the problems with it and vote to cut off their own potential future riches is unlikely. But if no one tries it will never happen.

Here is an excerpt from Congress member Loebsack’s editorial:

Members of Congress are chosen by the American people to faithfully represent them. Our constituents don’t send us to Washington to audition for a job with a special interest group. Unfortunately, growing numbers of these public servants are leveraging their constituents’ trust for cold, hard cash after leaving Capitol Hill.

It wasn’t always this way. In 1974, only 3 percent of members of Congress became lobbyists after leaving office. But today that figure has jumped dramatically – 50 percent of Senators and 42 percent of House members become lobbyists after they leave Congress. In fact, the Center for Responsive Politics found there are now 28 registered lobbyists for every member of Congress.

The Center for Responsive Politics also found that over one third (27 out of 75) of members of Congress who left during or at the end of the 113th Congress have already taken up lobbying as a career. Over half of the former members of the 112th Congress are currently engaged in lobbying contracts.

It’s not hard to see why – a study by Republic Report found that, on average, lawmakers who became lobbyists boosted their salary by 1,452 percent, with many exchanging their public careers for seven-figure salaries.

As former representatives and senators move through the revolving door to K Street, they continue to earn pensions paid for by you, the American taxpayer, as they rake in huge salaries to lobby current federal legislators. Since leaving Congress, former Speaker Hastert continues to collect approximately $72,000 annually from his federal pension while pulling in millions from lobbying. This is unacceptable and it’s having a real effect on our democracy.

Thank you, Congressman and good luck!