When This Job Is Over, He’ll Probably Just Retire Anyway By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff
Vice President Dick Cheney was singled out for some special attention when the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved new lobbying and ethics rules Feb. 14 for the executive branch.
Despite getting a pass on some other provisions, the vice president is specifically covered by regulations setting a two-year “cooling off” period during which outgoing senior officials cannot lobby their former colleagues. New hires to high-ranking government posts also are prohibited from participating in policy decisions that affect their former employers.
Democrats have long made political hay out of Cheney’s relationship with Halliburton, a company he once led that has won billions of dollars in contracts related to the Iraq War.
The provision, which also was included in last year’s version of the legislation, did not prevent committee Republicans from voting for it. It was approved, 29-0.