{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr6476-114/featured_deter-revolving-door-appointments-in-our-nation-stop-washington-appointees-from-becoming-manipulative-petitione-1483402546.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr6476-114/featured_large_deter-revolving-door-appointments-in-our-nation-stop-washington-appointees-from-becoming-manipulative-petitione-1483402546.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr6476-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2016-12-08","title_override":"Drain the Swamp: Should Political Appointees be Banned From Lobbying After Leaving Gov’t?","summary_override":"

This bill — known as the DRAIN the SWAMP Act — would prohibit former executive branch political appointees from lobbying for five years after leaving the federal government and ban them from lobbying for foreign nations for life.

Federal agencies would be able to request hardship waivers for certain positions that are filled by political appointments, which would only be granted if the Office of Government Ethics finds that it’d make it difficult to get qualified personnel to take jobs or wouldn’t create the potential for undue influence.

Under current law, appointees are banned from lobbying for two years after leaving the executive branch which is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and/or one year in prison.

The full title for the DRAIN the SWAMP Act is the “Deter-Revolving-door Appointments in our Nation; Stop Washington Appointees from becoming Manipulative Petitioners Act.”

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Drain the Swamp: Should Political Appointees be Banned From Lobbying After Leaving Gov’t?