WASHINGTON — The Senate gave final approval Thursday to a sweeping package of new ethics and lobbying rules, with an overwhelming majority of Republicans and Democrats agreeing to better police the relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists. If President George W. Bush signs the bill into law, which administration officials indicated that he would, members of Congress will face a battery of new restrictions. The legislation, which grew out of a series of scandals, calls for banning gifts, meals and travel from lobbyists as well as making it more difficult for lawmakers to quickly capitalize on their connections when joining the private sector. The measure, which passed the Senate 83 to 14, represents a significant cultural shift for Congress. But even as proponents hailed the measure as the broadest reforms since the Watergate scandal, when Richard Nixon was president, it remained an open question how the provisions would be enforced and whether it would change how members of Congress finance pet projects, or ‘earmarks.’ Still, the legislation requires more disclosure in how the projects are selected. This is an effort to shed light on backroom dealing that has been at the root of scandals that have […]