Rep. Crane Cosponsors Bill to Prohibit Former Members of Congress From Becoming Lobbyists

Today, Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) introduced the Banning Lobbying and Safeguarding Trust (BLAST) Act, which would bar Members of Congress from lobbying Congress upon leaving office.

Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) joined as original cosponsors of the bipartisan initiative.

Throughout his tenure, Rep. Crane has consistently worked to combat lawmaker corruption. This Congress, he cosponsored Rep. Chip Roy's (R-TX) Restore Trust in Congress Act to ban Members of Congress from trading stocks. Additionally, he signed on to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's (R-FL) discharge petition to force a vote on halting the practice.

Regarding the BLAST Act, Rep. Crane believes lawmakers should not leave Capitol Hill simply to receive high salaries for swaying their former colleagues. He also sees the measure as a way to dissuade individuals from seeking office purely for long-term financial gain.

"I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of the BLAST Act, which would finally close the revolving door of former Members of Congress who become lobbyists. Our Founders envisioned a government led by citizen representatives, not lifelong political operators cashing in on their time in office," said Rep. Crane. "If we want to change the way this town works, we cannot accept the status quo. I applaud Rep. Moore for crafting this bipartisan legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to support this effort."