Linestanding

Linestanding or seatholding is a service provided in Washington, D.C. to lobbyists, corporate legislative offices, non-profit organizations, lawyers, and other people having an interest in matters being debated or bills being marked up by the United States House of Representatives or United States Senate. The Linestanding company will send someone to Capitol Hill to stand in line well in advance of the hearing or mark-up to help the client gain entry into the hearing room with a good seat in the visitors gallery.

On October 18th, 2007, freshman Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri proposed that linestanding for registered lobbyists be made illegal. Her feeling is that lobbyists should have to stand in line with everyone else. Her proposal, Senate bill 2107, can be found at www.thomas.gov. Her press release appears at:

[http://mccaskill.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=285599] Senate.gov

[" [The Washington Post] " reported on her proposal:

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/17/AR2007101701034.html] WashingtonPost.com

Mark Gross, owner of a linestanding company, feels that the Senator's desire to ensure that the legislative is free of corruption and undue influence has much merit, but her proposal does not. Mr. Gross says that his clients are a critical component of the lawmaking process. Congress relies on the expertise of private industry in helping to ensure that America remains competitive, that American jobs are protected, and that the public is served by every bill that becomes law, every budget that gets enacted, and every resolution that is placed in the public record. When Congress holds public hearings on issues that affect an industry, those companies whose livelihood is affected by the proposal at hand need to be able to send persons to follow the committee proceedings and learn of various Congressperson's and Senator's concerns about that legislation. Their ability to pay attention in these proceedings is compromised if they're forced to wait in line day and night. The hearing rooms on Capitol Hill were built one or more generations ago and sometimes they simply aren't large enough to accommodate every person who has an interest in the outcome of that particular hearing.