WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives halted debate Thursday on a lobbying reform bill, as Republicans struggled to find agreement among themselves on the issue.
The House had been working on a procedural matter early Thursday when Republican leaders stopped debate and went into a private meeting to discuss concerns of some GOP members over how far lobbying reform should go, The Washington Post reported.
Leaders said the House would vote later Thursday on procedures for debating the legislation, the newspaper said.
The issue gained importance in Washington because of the scandal surrounding disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He has pleaded guilty to federal charges as part of a corruption investigation involving several members of Congress and their aides.
Returning to Washington from the Easter break this week, Republican lawmakers said they might pass a relatively tame ethics bill because constituents rarely mention the issue, the Post reported.
The fundamental disagreement Thursday had to do with earmarks -- funding targeted at home-district pet projects. Some Republicans oppose a provision of the ethics bill that would require lawmakers to attach their names to earmarks, the newspaper said.
