An End to Treadmill Lobbying

"My big concern is what the message is in terms of former members who are lobbyists in the wellness center, as we call it," said Oxley, who said he happens to be chairman of said wellness center. He called it "one of the last vestiges of bipartisanship and camaraderie in this institution that many of us share."

Oxley spoke of the hardship this would cause for old friends such as former Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Archer and former Texas congressman Jack Fields. "It basically says if you are a former member-slash-lobbyist, a Bill Archer, a Jack Fields, you are no longer welcome in the wellness center [and] you can just go ahead and clean out your locker," the chairman said.

"To ban these former members," Oxley boomed in the lofty rhetoric some save for war-and-peace issues, "I think really does a disservice to this institution." He continued: "I have no problem with [revoking] the floor privileges, but the wellness center I think is a different animal."

Dreier slouched in his seat and crossed his legs.

Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.) said the proposal was "like putting a band-aid on a broken leg."

"This is simply a first step," Dreier pleaded.

Frank would have none of that. "I'm one of those who talked about a vast right-wing conspiracy," he said. "It now seems clear to me instead we have a vast right-wing kleptocracy, and putting people out of the gym is not even the beginning of dealing seriously with that problem."

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) took a turn, scolding the sponsor for "kicking some old member out of the gym" and suggesting: "This House is in a delusional state."

But Dreier did not break a sweat. He knew that few members would vote against something labeled "lobbying reform," no matter what they thought of it. "We don't have any more speakers," he announced, closing the debate and surrendering the rest of his time. The measure passed, 379-50.