When the Democrats took control of Congress last January, they promised thorough ethics reform to curb the kinds of abuses exemplified by the recent Jack Abramoff and William Jefferson scandals. A bill that overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress last week should put the brakes on several unsavory practices.

The legislation was weakened somewhat in the sausage machine that is Congress. Nevertheless, its provisions will make members of Congress far more accountable to the public.

The goal, as Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., put it well, was to make clear that "we are here to put the public interest above the special interests."

That required disallowing big, unseen gifts, including meals and travel, by lobbyists to members of Congress. The bill also bans lawmakers from attending lavish parties "honoring" them at their party's political conventions. And it prohibits senators from placing secret "holds" on legislation.

But while the bill includes these and other bans, its main power to avert abuse lies in the power of sunlight — that is to say, disclosure.

Shine light on big money changing hands and you put into place an incentive for lawmakers to ensure that they look good in that light. This bill requires them to disclose any grouping of small contributions "bundled" by lobbyists that totals $15,000 or more in a six-month period.

Disclosure should also help curb the use of so-called earmarks — the spending provisions lawmakers place into bills, often as a trade for a vote on something else, to benefit their district or even themselves or their families.

Earmarks too often come to light only after the legislation is passed; the newly passed bill requires that they be disclosed on the Internet 48 hours before a vote — and requires any member seeking one to certify that he or she will get no personal financial benefit from it.

Advance sunlight could well avert projects like the much-written-about "Bridge to Nowhere" for Alaska, an earmark in a 2005 highway bill. The bridge, from Ketchikan to a tiny island, was hotly defended by Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who last week may well have created yet another impetus for reform: His house was raided by the FBI in a political corruption probe.

Determined lobbyists will no doubt keep looking for creative ways to influence lawmakers. But this bill at least puts more of their mutual activity out in the open, where it can be judged by all.

— Minneapolis Star Tribune