Former Congressman Shuster joins lobbying firm

If anyone had any doubts about the speed of the revolving door in Washington, D.C., rest assured it still is spinning.

Politics PA reports that Bill Shuster, the former Republican congressman from Bedford County who opted not to seek re-election last year, has a new gig in the nation’s capital with Squire Patton Boggs, a powerhouse lobbying firm that boasts former U.S. Senators Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, and John Breaux, a Louisiana Democrat, among its leadership.

Shuster, 58, was an auto dealer before succeeding his father, former Congressman Bud Shuster, in the U.S. House in 2001. He chaired the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, a powerful post he would have had to give up had he been elected to another term. Shuster’s decision to step aside ended a half-century family dynasty in the House.

House ethics rules impose a one year cooling off period on members who leave and take lobbying jobs. During that time, they cannot directly lobby members of Congress but can advise those who do and can lobby the executive branch.