Revolving door

Ex-lawmakers swing through the revolving door 

By Fredreka Schouten

Nearly one-quarter of the lawmakers who left Congress recently are working in positions aimed at influencing government policy, even though they are barred from lobbying their former colleagues and Capitol Hill staff.

At least 18 former senators and House members have signed on with lobbying and consulting firms, trade groups, law firms and other organizations with business before the federal or state governments, a USA TODAY tally shows. The analysis examined the 77 people who served in the last Congress and either retired, resigned or lost their seats. Most left in January.

Former House members are barred from lobbying Congress for a year after they leave office; former senators face a two-year ban. Ex-lawmakers still can lobby the executive branch and provide behind-the-scenes advice to companies and other organizations trying to influence federal legislation. They also can lobby state and local officials.

"They are cashing in on their Rolodexes," said Craig Holman of the left-leaning advocacy group Public Citizen, one of the watchdog organizations that pushed for ethics rules in 2007 that banned lobbyist-funded travel and gifts and tightened restrictions on post-congressional employment. Even without talking to their former colleagues, former members of Congress "can provide a lobbying shop with valuable insider information," he said.

Buck McKeon, the former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee who decided not to seek re-election, recently launched his own firm, McKeon Group, with former aides. The firm has drawn seven clients, including a charter school and Aerojet Rocketdyne, a defense contractor.

"A lot of people really don't know how Washington works, especially back home in the district," said McKeon, a California Republican. "Based on 22 years serving in Congress and getting bills passed, you kind of learn how the system works."

"If you can help somebody out with a problem, that's a satisfying thing," said McKeon, 76. "What else am I going to do? Sit in a rocking chair?"

Another former congressman, Virginia Democrat Jim Moran, joined the law and lobbying firm McDermott Will & Emery in January as a "senior legislative adviser."

Moran, who served 12 terms in Congress, said "there's no comparison" between lobbying lawmakers directly and advising clients on how to navigate Washington. "After 24 years, you gain some understanding and knowledge of the process, the politics and the people," he said. "But it probably would be more of value if I could sit down with my friends on the Hill and discuss things."

Moran said he avoids talking business with current lawmakers, but that doesn't mean he never interacts with them. For instance, he recently hosted a fundraiser for the No. 2 Democrat in the House, Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer. As a former lawmaker, he enjoys another perk: He can work out in the House gym alongside his ex-colleagues.

Other ex-lawmakers with lobbying-related jobs include:

• Former Iowa congressman Tom Latham, who has become a partner in the consulting and lobbying firm that now bears his name, Hecht, Latham, Spencer & Associates. The Republican will provide "strategic and legislative" advice to clients, the firm said. Latham, who retired this year after 10 House terms, did not return a telephone call.

• Ex-Nebraska congressman Lee Terry, who recently joined the Washington office of Kelley, Drye and Warren as a "senior government relations and public policy adviser." Terry, an eight-term Republican, did not respond to an interview request.

• Former California congressman Henry Waxman, a political power broker on Capitol Hill for four decades, recently became chairman of his son's communication and consulting firm. Waxman said he opted against joining a lobbying firm because he wanted to represent "clients who are fighting for some of the things I was fighting for in Congress."

Waxman, a California Democrat whose accomplishments include expanding Medicaid and helping to pass the 2010 Affordable Care Act, said his client roster includes environmental groups, hospitals and community health centers, which rely on federal funding to care for low-income patients.

Waxman is not ruling out registering as a lobbyist when his one-year cooling-off period expires.

Dozens of other lawmakers who left Congress in January still are looking for work or have opted out of lobbying entirely.

Holman said the pace of ex-lawmakers becoming lobbyists may be slowing as a result of the rule changes. A Public Citizen study of former lawmakers who left Congress from 1998 to 2006 found 42% had become registered lobbyists, Holman said.

A separate analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics found that just 18 of the 97 lawmakers who left Congress in 2012 — or nearly 19% — went on to work for lobbying firms.

Other experts said the route to lobbying work isn't easy. Lobbying firms and associations seek to hire people who had clout and a long tenure on Capitol Hill or those who had successful careers and management experience before they came to Washington, said Julian Ha, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm.

"Just because you were a lawmaker doesn't mean you are going to get a great job," he said.