Eli Crane Backs Bill to Permanently Ban Lawmakers from Becoming Lobbyists

A group of House lawmakers wants to make it illegal for former members of Congress to become lobbyists. The bill, called the BLAST Act, was introduced this week and has already picked up bipartisan support.

Right now, when a lawmaker leaves office, they only have to wait one or two years before they can legally turn around and lobby their former colleagues on behalf of paying clients. Critics say that's not nearly enough.

The BLAST Act would eliminate that window entirely and make the ban permanent.

The bill was introduced by Representatives Barry Moore (R-AL) and Eugene Vindman (D-VA). Moore argued that too many politicians leave office and immediately start using their connections to make money, which he says erodes public trust.

Vindman, who has also pushed to ban lawmakers from trading stocks, called it a commonsense fix that Congress needs to pass now.

Crane Cosponsors

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) was one of the first to sign on as a cosponsor.

"I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of the BLAST Act, which finally closes the revolving door of former Members of Congress becoming lobbyists," Crane emphasized in the press release. "Our Founders envisioned a government led by citizen representatives, not lifelong political operators cashing in on their time in office."

He also posted about it on X, praising the act’s mission and his belief that representatives are “not lifelong political operators cashing in on their time in office.”

The idea is straightforward: if you were elected to serve the public, your time in office shouldn't become a networking opportunity for your next paycheck.

Public trust in Congress has been near historic lows for years. Supporters of the bill say this is exactly the kind of reform that could start turning that around.