Donald Trump may be a combination of the dumbest person on the planet and the person with a job for which he is the most unqualified on the planet. We’ve all heard him say some of the most ridiculous things.
Critics of Trump say that he’s not “draining the swamp,” as he promised, but actually making the “swamp” bigger because he put so many billionaires in his Cabinet. Moreover, he’s actually looking to close several departments and hired these billionaires to shut them down. For example, Betsy DeVos is supposed to close the Department of Education that he runs as Secretary of Education.
Critics are right. Trump has hired billionaires. More than that, those billionaires haven’t used their money to benefit anyone other than themselves and usually harm everyone else. Furthermore, they’re incredibly STUPID!
Now, to defend him, he never said he was going to downsize the Cabinet or only hire non-billionaires. When he said he’d “drain the swamp,” he was talking about getting rid of Congresspeople that have been in office for a few decades, some of whom run unopposed in their reelection runs because everyone blindly trusts them. Think of names like McConnell, Hatch, Grassley, McCain, Leahy, Schumer, and others.
While he hasn’t actually done anything to limit Congress yet, he has limited former Congresspeople as well as White House staff from lobbying after they leave office or leave the White House.
While I disagree with Trump on almost everything, this lobbying ban is fantastic. Now you cannot lobby for 5 years and you can NEVER lobby on behalf of a foreign government.
When I heard that second part, I thought: you used to be able to lobby for a foreign government? I don’t understand why that was ever a thing. Not to get into too much detail, but if a foreign government wanted something from us, can’t they just put that on a list of things their leader can try to communicate to our leader? I mean, it’s a government-to-government effort so can’t they just talk to each other? Moreover, I thought it seemed really stupid because any time two or more governments work together on something, it’s supposed to be really important and really crucial that we iron out exactly how we’re going to be interdependent on each other’s efforts to have the effect upon which they agreed.
So, I’m not sure why a lobbying firm was ever trusted to handle those matters, but I’m so glad that’s done.
Now, Trump may have more he’s planning to do to restrict lobbying. He also hasn’t done anything about term limits. However, term limits would be fantastic, and so, on this front, I’m totally on board. Although, I’m sure he’ll find some way to mess it up.
What should we do in this case?
Well, I feel we don’t have to do nothing. Now, what can we do to get the government to listen to us after they’re in office if we don’t have lobbying firms to support us? Well, by and large, lobbying firms are different from NGOs. So, if you’re a corporation wishing to have lobbyists stay in Washington so that you can pay the government to shirk its duties to anyone but you, then don’t worry because lobbying firms aren’t going anywhere. If you’re NGO, don’t worry either because you can still apply for grants and still receive them. What’s different now is the corruption involved should decrease in cases of lobbying for corporations and serious dangers created by foreign lobbying actions should decrease.
It’s not about lobbying but about the people working for the lobbying firms. BEFORE they start working there, even. What this is about is giving to Congresspeople who are currently in office BEFORE they come to a lobbying firm and sometimes to encourage them to work for a lobbying firm AFTER their term(s) of office. Therefore, they get money, nonfinancial campaign assistance, promises of a job after they leave office, and obviously some rhetoric that they’ll need that job despite having a good salary in office that they could save for their future so they don’t need to be dependent on a lobbying firm for a future salary, and then the Congresspeople bend over and embark on this entanglement. Now, this pre-lobbying leverage is reduced because any payment now won’t lead to a job for at least 5 years. Lobbying firms may not want to pay that money when, after 5 years, the Congressperson might have already found a different job and realized they don’t want to work for a lobbying firm. Maybe a different job will be more fulfilling, pay more, or have some other benefit the lobbying firm can’t, won’t, or isn’t aligned to provide.
Side Note: We may even be able to start up campaign finance reform if these firms are less willing to fund campaigns. Hi Bernie! And if no one is willing to pay, we might even see fewer annoying campaign commercials on TV!
So, lobbying firms aren’t going away. Trump is just changing who can work there and when so that the RECRUITING PROCESS at these firms doesn’t start while the future employee is still in office, charged with the responsibility to help everyone and not just the lobbying firm.
So, this is a good thing. Trump is NOT a good thing. However, this ban is good. Simple as that. A heinous man can possibly do good, even if by accident, and whether we give him credit or not, it’s been done, and it’s a good thing.