Ocasio-Cortez, Cruz strike Twitter pact to work together on lobbying legislation
Let's see if anything like this has even a snowball's chance in the hot place.
Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez set aside their Twitter bickering Thursday to strike an unusual bargain: an agreement to work together on a bill to ban former members of Congress from lobbying for life.
The Texas Republican and the New York Democrat made the pact on Twitter after Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a report by the watchdog group Public Citizen on the number of former lawmakers who’ve headed to K Street this year.
“I don’t think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if you’ve served in Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Cruz, who’s feuded with Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter before, tweeted that he agreed, suggesting it might be “a chance for some bipartisan cooperation.”
Ocasio-Cortez responded by proposing a deal: “If we can agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses, no poison pills, etc - just a straight, clean ban on members of Congress becoming paid lobbyists - then I’ll co-lead the bill with you.”
“You’re on,” Cruz responded.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) added that he was “IN.”
Cruz and Ocasio-Cortez aren’t the first lawmakers to propose banning their former colleagues from lobbying. Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced a bill to do so in February, and Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) introduced a companion bill in the House.
The Texas Republican and the New York Democrat made the pact on Twitter after Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a report by the watchdog group Public Citizen on the number of former lawmakers who’ve headed to K Street this year.
“I don’t think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if you’ve served in Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Cruz, who’s feuded with Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter before, tweeted that he agreed, suggesting it might be “a chance for some bipartisan cooperation.”
Ocasio-Cortez responded by proposing a deal: “If we can agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses, no poison pills, etc - just a straight, clean ban on members of Congress becoming paid lobbyists - then I’ll co-lead the bill with you.”
“You’re on,” Cruz responded.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) added that he was “IN.”
Cruz and Ocasio-Cortez aren’t the first lawmakers to propose banning their former colleagues from lobbying. Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced a bill to do so in February, and Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) introduced a companion bill in the House.
Let's see if anything like this has even a snowball's chance in the hot place.
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