As elected officials, Members of Congress are entrusted by the American public to hold themselves to the highest ethical standards and to be conscientious stewards of taxpayer money.  Unfortunately, recent history has seen an unsustainable rise in the national debt and several examples of Members engaging in unethical and illegal behavior.  Since coming to Congress in January of 2007, Congressman Altmire has worked to reform the way business is done in Washington, DC.  He has voted to restore fiscal responsibility, enact landmark ethics reform, and establish an independent ethics office.

Restoring Fiscal Responsibility

As part of his ongoing efforts to promote fiscal responsibility in Congress, Congressman Altmire helped introduce the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009 (H.R. 2920). This legislation -- which passed the House on July 22, 2009 -- would ensure that Congress pays for any new spending or tax cuts it approves. For more information, see Altmire Votes to Strengthen Pay-As-You-Go Budget Rules.

Enacting Landmark Ethics Reform

One of Congressman Altmire’s first actions as a Member of Congress was to vote in favor of the toughest ethics rules to ever govern the House.  These rules include strict limits on gifts that Members can receive and increase transparency in the Congressional earmark process.  Congressman Altmire also supported further ethics and lobbying reforms that were included in the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (S. 1), which became law on September 14, 2007.  This legislation requires increased disclosure of campaign contributions, strengthens restrictions on Members’ post congressional employment, ensures that corrupt Members’ do not receive pensions, and expands the disclosure of Members’ finances.  For more information, see Altmire Hails Signing of Landmark Lobbying and Ethics Legislation.

Establishing an Independent Ethics Office

Congressman Altmire was proud to advocate for and help pass H.Res. 895, which established an Independent Office of Congressional Ethics.  For years, good government advocates have called on Congress to establish this Independent Office which will bring more transparency to the ethics process and help ensure that the rules of the House are properly enforced.