Gates: Ethics rules may be doing harm

by Frank James

In his testimony before the Senate Armed Service Committee, Defense Secretary Bob Gates certainly didn't talk specifics about the controversial nomination of a former Raytheon Co. lobbyist to be his deputy secretary.

But the situation with William Lynn who President Barack Obama named to be Gate's second in command at the Pentagon was clearly on his mind when he said federal rules meant to slow down the revolving door between government and the private sector could actually be crippling the government.

Until last year, Lynn lobbied the federal government on behalf of Raytheon, his employer and a massive defense contractor. The nomination has raised questions since Obama promised that lobbyists would not have key jobs in his administration but left a loophole that would allow him to issue waivers so that Lynn and others could still work in the administration.

Gates said the problem is federal ethics rules make it very difficult to bring into government the professionals with the best experience in procurement and other important Defense Department areas.

Gates said:

"I take a backseat to no one in terms of the importance of ethics, ethical behavior, ethical standards and the importance of integrity in office. But in a way, over a period of time, and I would say going back 20 years in some respects, we have worked ourselves into a box canyon. Because we have created a situation in which it is harder and harder for people who have served in industry, who understand the acquisition business, who understand systems management to come into the public service. And particularly when they are not coming in as career people but perhaps at more senior levels and then go out."

Gates was quick to add that he wasn't singling out the president's new executive order which would require people in his administration to wait years before they could lobby his administration on issues and areas they worked in his administration

Gates said:

"Last thing I would do is criticize the ethics executive order the new president has just signed. This is a cumulative problem that has taken place over many, many years. My own view is that on a lot of these issues, transparency is the answer and the recusal approaches that we have.

The president recognized the need that to be able get some of these people he would need to exercise a waiver and he provided for that in, I think wisely, in the executive order. But there is a reason we have those kinds of vacancies and that they endure year after year after year. And I think all of us, Congress, the Executive Branch together need to look at this and see whether we're cutting off our nose to spite our face, that we haven't made it so tough to get people who have the kind of industry experience that allows them to know how to manage an acquisition process, come into government, do public service and then return to their careers. I can't pretend I have an answer to it but I can tell you that's a problem."