New Lobby Rules Could Help Nonprofit Groups

One analyst predicts that new ethics rules issued by President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team will give nonprofit groups a stronger voice on Capitol Hill, reports CNN.

Chai Feldblum, a Georgetown University professor who teaches aspiring lobbyists, says that under restrictions issued by Obama’s transition staff this week that bar federal lobbyists from contributing to the transition effort, corporate lobbyists “will have to share the stage with other people representing other points of view.

“Lobbyists for a broader range of the American public — lobbyists for Catholic Charities USA, lobbyists for the Epilepsy Foundation, lobbyists for domestic-violence groups, people trying to bring those positions forward — will have an easier time being heard,” said Ms. Feldblum.