Thursday, October 08, 2009
Lobbyists in Washington, DC, are ticked off following the quiet announcement by the White House that members of the Third House can no longer serve on government advisory committees. President Barack Obama decided to ban lobbyists from the numerous advisory bodies, many of which were set up in the 1970s to gather input from the private sector, in order to limit their influence in shaping the new administration’s policy decisions.
The no-lobbyists directive is likely to bounce more than 100 of them from committees, and possibly affect their livelihood. Having a seat on these advisory panels is a big selling point when lobbyists woo new clients, so losing this access to federal decision-making could cause a corresponding loss in business.
“There is fury,” one lobbyist told CQ Politics. “Absolute fury.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Lobbyists Stew After Being Bounced From Boards (by Keith Koffle, CQ-Roll Call Group)
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