McCaskill Calls on GOP Leaders to ‘Stop Playing Games’ on Ethics Reform

by Payson Schwin, Jun 28, 2007

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) took Republican senators to task today for their obstruction of S. 1, the ethics and lobbying reform bill that passed the Senate on a lopsided 96-2 vote in January. (To see the video, click here.)

In May, the House passed its own version of the bill (H.R.2316), but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has blocked appointment of Senate conferees over a dispute on another bill on electronic filing of campaign finance reports.

“You know, there are times since I have been here that I have been surprised and shocked,” McCaskill said on the Senate floor. “And I’ve got to tell you, this week was one of them.”

McCaskill continued:

There is no good excuse except politics. And if we can’t get beyond politics to reform ethics, then I think the people have a right to give us an approval rate in the cellar.

 

And so I call on the Republican leader, I call on our Republican colleagues, stop playing games with ethics reform. Let’s move forward, let’s make this happen on behalf of the people we came here to represent. If we can’t do this, we ought to put our tail between our legs, be ashamed and go home.

Ethics reform isn’t the only thing the “Grand Obstruction Party” has been blocking lately.

Earlier this week, McConnell stopped the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation that would have given working families the freedom to make their own choice about joining a union and bargaining for a better life.

For a complete rundown of the obstruction, check out Bob Geiger here.

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