Recently elected Majority Leader in the U.S. House, Rep. John Boehner, of the 8th District of Ohio, already finds himself in hot water. Boehner, whose district includes Oxford, was elected to his post as a lead Republican in the House of Representatives based on his strong statements about lobbying and its effects on Washington politics. Now, Boehner has his own set of questions to answer.
It was recently disclosed that Boehner has been a tenant of John Milne, a lobbyist whose clients have been involved with the Education and the Workforce Committee, which Boehner chaired prior to becoming the majority leader.
While it does not appear that Boehner is paying below market value for his apartment, which would be illegal, the connection remains suspect. Nevertheless, a situation as this no longer seems surprising given the enormous power lobbyists wield in Washington.
While it appears that Boehner has not done anything improper - his spokesman contends that Milne never had any contact as a lobbyist with Boehner while Milne was his landlord - this incident simply emphasizes the changes that must take place in Washington. Given the closeness with which politicians and lobbyists seem to interact, there are certainly a myriad of other similar ties between lawmakers and lobbyists. Boehner's situation is merely a symptom of a larger issue - money can buy attention on Capitol Hill.
Boehner proposed full disclosure of any and all relationships between members of Congress and lobbyists when he campaigned for the majority leader position. This revelation must not prevent Boehner from continuing to pursue these goals. It is clear that given his stance on the issue, Boehner is deserving of the extra scrutiny that is taking place, even though the relationship appears to be perfectly legal.
Ultimately, Boehner must be held accountable to the position he took weeks ago - that members of Congress must be more open about their connections with lobbyists.
Boehner must hold firm in the face of added public scrutiny and not back down from his calls for reform. Clearly, it is the very reform that Boehner championed which is so needed in order to help restore credibility and the appearance of propriety to the legislative process.
