During this week in 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified. That’s 223 years of free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances– in modern parlance, the right to lobby.
As we reflect on this important anniversary, we should recognize how central the right to lobby was to the Founding Fathers and why it continues to be essential to every American and to society as a whole.
Government touches every aspect of our lives, and all Americans have lobbyists even if they do not recognize it. If you eat food, you have a lobbyist. If you have clothes and shoes, you have a lobbyist. If you drive a car, you have a lobbyist. If your children attend school, you have a lobbyist. If you see a doctor or go to a hospital, you have a lobbyist.
Lobbyists make sure taxpayers’, parents’, consumers’, workers’, and citizens’ voices are heard, and they act as a critical check on a bureaucracy that is not always accountable. Speaker of the House John Boehner once said that lobbyists are the only way Members of Congress know what is in a bill. This is even more important at times like this past weekend when lawmakers voted on a 1,600 page bill to fund the government that was introduced less than 48 hours before the vote. Lobbyists not only tell Congress what is in the bill, but also they explain the consequences, most of which are not understood or anticipated. Government simply cannot function without lobbyists and the vital information they provide.
Let’s celebrate 223 years of the right to petition our government and salute the Bryce Harlow Foundation for educating the next generation of lobbyists who will take up this responsibility.
