Lobbying and Congressional Capacity

Roll Call‘s Kate Ackley writes:

“Demand has increased for former officials, including former lawmakers who are more likely to become lobbyists than in past decades, as congressional staff become more focused on in-district constituent services than on policy matters, LaPira and Thomas argue. They trace a big drop in congressional staff capacity to the speakership of Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., in the 1990s, who eliminated roughly one-third of the House standing committees and cut staff in the remaining ones. The result was ‘a 37 percent decline in committee staff,’ they write.”

Read more at: http://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/book-explores-lobbyists-fill-void-congress#sthash.Bh4hyxea.dpuf