The BLAST Act makes it illegal for former members of Congress to ever lobby the government after they leave office. Right now, there are time limits on this restriction—senators can't lobby for two years after leaving office, and House members and other elected officers can't lobby for one year. This bill removes those time limits entirely, creating a permanent ban instead. This means once you've served in Congress, you can never go to work as a lobbyist trying to influence your former colleagues on behalf of clients or companies. The goal is to prevent former lawmakers from using their insider knowledge and relationships to influence government decisions for personal profit, which supporters argue helps rebuild public trust in government by reducing the appearance that politicians are just preparing for lucrative lobbying careers while in office.

BLAST Act

Braun, Mike

Banning Lobbying and Safeguarding Trust Act or the BLAST Act This bill revises the post-employment lobbying ban on former Members and elected officers of Congress. Specifically, it imposes a permanent ban on lobbying contacts by a former Senator (currently, a two-year ban), a former Member of the House of Representatives (currently, a one-year ban), or a former elected officer of the House or Senate (currently, a one-year ban).