First District congressional candidate Brian Kennedy says the nation’s seeing nothing but wrongdoing and corruption when it looks to Washington, with several scandals uncovered in recent months on Capitol Hill. “In short, there is a cancer on the congress,” says the Republican, “and it’s a bipartisan sickness that needs a bipartisan cure.”
Kennedy says both parties ought to move immediately to reform, or face a voter backlash and the de-legitimizing of Congress. Kennedy, a republican, says he’d tackle the bigger problem of -perceived- corruption. The actual corruption, he notes, includes the recent scandal over lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and California Congressman Randy Cunningham who resigned after admitting he took huge bribes.
But Kennedy says he thinks “perceived corruption” includes things like lobbyists being paid to influence legislation, and special interests taking an active role in financing the re-election of members of Congress. He says he believes “that invites a perception of corruption.” Kennedy says he’s calling on Congress to act in a bipartisan manner.
He’d move to ban lobbyist donations, ban fundraising in Washington, D.C., to end corporate “loopholes” like use of company jets by members of Congress, and have real-time lobbying disclosure. Kennedy says he expects Congress to consider reform legislation regarding lobbyists this year. The Republican running for Congress from Iowa’s first district says he’d like to Congress convene twice a year, for three-month sessions and as a part-time body, receive only parttime pay.