Senate joins House in passing ethics bill

Last night, the Senate voted 83-14 in favor of passing the Democrats' ethics reform bill, which the House passed by a 411-8 vote the night before. Based on everything I've read, the bill seems like a huge step in the right direction. Among other things, it requires greater disclosure of gifts from lobbyists, including "bundling" (where a lobbyist collects donations totaling $15,000 in support of an officeholder), requires that Senators wait two years (and House members wait one year) before lobbying Congress in person, and requires that Senators disclose "earmarks" two days before a vote takes place. [AP]

It will be interesting to see whether President Bush signs the bill into law, especially considering the fact that it has the support of a majority of Republicans in both chambers.

"Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2007" [Senate.gov]
"Ethics Bill Summary" [AP]