wfn.org | NCC's Edgar Calls for Enforceable Congressional Ethics Code

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Edgar: Abramoff scandal could have been avoided
if Congress adopted bipartisan ethics guidelines

New York, January 10, 2006 -- Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's decision last week 
to cooperate with federal investigators in Washington's biggest ethics 
scandal in recent memory has sent tremors throughout the capital.

None of this is surprising, said the General Secretary of the National 
Council of Churches USA, but it could have been avoided if Congress had 
adopted "a universally accepted and enforceable code of ethics."

The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar called on religious leaders -- including those on 
the religious right -- to demand that Congress begin working on those 
ethical guidelines now.

"As a Christian minister and a former member of Congress," Edgar said, "I 
am convinced that a universally accepted and enforceable code of ethics -- 
not just promises and empty words -- is the best assurance that we the 
people will be honestly served, and that politicians will be led away from 
the moral pitfalls of unchecked temptation."

Edgar made it clear that religious leaders are not calling for a code of 
ethics out of a sense of moral superiority.

"Our ancient scriptures make it clear that sin is a basic flaw in the human 
character, correctable only by humble obedience to God and adherence to 
God's law. The New Testament makes it clear that 'all have sinned and 
fallen short of the glory of God.'"

"In these treacherous times," Edgar said, "the sinful have included 
politicians, industrialists, judges, attorneys, and, yes, even servants of 
the church. As dismayed as we are by the behavior of politicians who 
flocked to Jack Abramoff's bountiful trough, church persons know we are not 
qualified to cast the first stone against them."

But religious leaders do call for "a strict and comprehensive set of 
ethical guidelines that can be agreed to by politicians, government 
officials and public servants of both parties at every level of government."

The full text of Edgar's statement follows:

Jack Abramoff's admission in federal court Tuesday that he is guilty of 
conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud may be creating tremors among 
Washington officials -- Democrat and Republican -- with whom he has been 
entangled. But it comes as no surprise to people of faith.

Our ancient scriptures make it clear that sin is a basic flaw in the human 
character, correctable only by humble obedience to God and adherence to God 
s law. The New Testament makes it clear that "all have sinned and fallen 
short of the glory of God." In these treacherous times, the sinful have 
included politicians, industrialists, judges, attorneys, and, yes, even 
servants of the church. As dismayed as we are by the behavior of 
politicians who flocked to Jack Abramoff's bountiful trough, church persons 
know we are not qualified to cast the first stone against them.

What we do call for, however, is a strict and comprehensive set of ethical 
guidelines that can be agreed to by politicians, government officials and 
public servants of both parties at every level of government. As a 
Christian minister and a former member of Congress, I am convinced that a 
universally accepted and enforceable code of ethics -- not promises and 
empty words -- is the best assurance that we the people will be honestly 
served, and that politicians will be led away from the moral pitfalls of 
unchecked temptation.

The scandal now developing in Washington calls for a bipartisan commitment 
to reform. Whatever is done must transcend party and transcend ideological 
points of view. I call on all religious leaders to join together to insist 
that Congress must undertake the immediate drafting and implementation of 
bold, comprehensive and cleansing ethics guidelines.

One of the reasons such egregious scandals by our elected officials are 
possible is that politics and greed have conspired to prevent the formation 
of ethical guidelines. Common Cause, a non-partisan public advocacy group, 
has advocated ethics reform legislation that would slow the revolving door 
between Congress and the lobbying industry, strengthen lobbying disclosure 
requirements, and curb the excesses in privately funded trips and gifts for 
Members of Congress and their staffs. There may other proposals worth 
looking at, but this would be a good place to begin.

 The Abramoff Scandal in Washington is a clear signal that the time to 
begin is now. With the Prophet Amos we pray: "Let justice roll down like 
waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." [Amos 5:24 NRSV]

The National Council of Churches USA is composed of 35 Protestant, 
Anglican, Orthodox, historic African American and peace communions 
representing 45 million Christians in 100,000 local congregations in the 
United States.