Seeing no downside, more lawmakers reveal details of their work schedules

Publication: The Hill

Jonathan E. Kaplan
September 18, 2007

WASHINGTON — Do you know where your congressman is? Until recently, few aside from staffers could have answered "yes." But under increased pressure from watchdogs and the public, more lawmakers are disclosing with whom they’re meeting, as well as when and where.

Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is a case in point. For instance, she had two hectic days of meetings, receptions and fundraising events at the end of May.

On May 30, she met with American Insurance Group (AIG) officials, attended a meeting with Goldman Sachs employees to discuss sub-prime lending and alternative energy policies, sat down with Altria Group lobbyists to discuss tobacco regulation, and joined some of her business-friendly Democratic colleagues to meet with Morgan Stanley executives.

She then hopped on a plane for a two-day fundraising swing through San Francisco and Los Angeles, where she attended a fundraiser with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and raised money for herself.

This information normally is hard to come by for a reporter or government watchdog group. But during last year’s campaign, the Sunlight Foundation, a new watchdog, challenged lawmakers and candidates to publish their official work schedule online within 24 hours of the end of the workday.

"My sixth sense about this is that greater transparency is an antidote to corruption and members of Congress get that," the executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, Ellen Miller, said. "[California Republican Rep.] John Doolittle is a case in point. We’re at the tip of the iceberg. More and more will do it as citizens begin to understand it."

Gillibrand agreed to make her calendar public during the 2006 campaign, making it easier to see how she is using her time. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) also started posting his schedule when he arrived in Washington even though he did not sign the pledge, his spokesman Matt McKenna said.

For Tester, open government is "a way of life in Montana," McKenna said, adding that the reaction "has been all positive."

Six more lawmakers, Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and Doolittle and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), have followed suit.

The calendars provide a glimpse into the harried lives of the lawmakers, showing with whom they meet and how they manage their time and highlighting differences between the House and Senate.

They also allow observers to link campaign donations to meetings.

Gillibrand flew to Palo Alto, Calif., on May 30. A week earlier she gave $4,600 to Clinton’s presidential campaign. On June 2, Gillibrand met — the calendar does not say where — with Jayne Shapiro, a wealthy businesswoman, who gave $500 to the campaign. Gillibrand also met with Marsha Kwalwasser, an executive at Northrup Grumman, according to CQ Moneyline.

Reporters and constituents love publicly posted schedules, and so do opposition researchers. MajorityAP.com, a Republican Web-based research service that provides information to reporters about Democratic lawmakers, accused Gillibrand of misleading the public by not stating where the event took place.

"It’s reasonable that the people in her district know that she’s in California raising money during the Memorial Day recess," the website’s founder, Michael Brady, said.

A spokeswoman for Gillibrand said the missing location was a simple oversight, adding that Gillibrand’s office would look into adding the location.

Miller said Tester’s schedule should be the standard that lawmakers emulate, but that more disclosure is better than none.
Tester shares the same frenetic pace as Gillibrand, traveling, presiding over the Senate, sitting in committee hearings, meeting with constituents and huddling with Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

Take June 21, for instance.

Tester started the day at 9 a.m. with his senior staff, then attended a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing, met with a delegation from the PPL Corporation, presided over the Senate floor and lunched with former NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw.

The lawmaker returned to his office to meet with constituents, hit the annual ice cream social, chatted with more constituents — including the winner of the National Peace Essay Contest — and met with an official from the American Bankers Association. He and Baucus huddled at 3:30 and the Senate met at 11 p.m. that evening.

While editorial boards and government watchdog groups have praised the postings for adding transparency to the political process, each calendar has its shortcomings. Gillibrand and Schakowsky, for example, do not specify at what time each appointment occurred. Tester does not identify some people; Rehberg and Doolittle do not detail the time they spend politicking or raising money; and Hastings only lists his weekly schedule.

Most lawmakers do not archive their schedules, although Congresspedia does.

Castor, however, lists the times of her meetings and includes information on fundraising events she attends. She began posting her schedule in March.

"She’s a very strong supporter of open government," Castor’s spokeswoman, Agustina Guerrero, said.