For all the gridlock in Congress last year, two items received bipartisan support: Democrats and Republicans acted in their own ways to kill campaign-finance reform and a ban on accepting gifts from lobbyists. Republicans have an opportunity next session to justify the faith voters have placed in them by introducing and supporting significant bills on both issues.

Democratic leaders in the House had an opportunity to bring these issues to a vote early in the last Congress but offered half-hearted support for them and delayed a vote until Republicans, who had supported a ban on gifts earlier, were able to filibuster the bills to death. The votes in both houses on campaign-finance reform, which would have allowed challengers a better chance to compete while reducing the influence of special interests, and the gift ban, which would have drastically reduced the ways lobbyists rewarded members of Congress, were cynical responses to a real need for Congress to clean up its act.

The voters responded by tossing out the majority party. That should be inspiration now to Republicans. The public-interest group Common Cause has been leading the charge for these reforms for years, with little success. This time, according to its president, Fred Wertheimer, GOP leaders have a vehicle to carry the gift ban.

House leaders have promised that on the opening day of the 114th Congress, members will vote on the Congressional Accountability Act, which was written to ensure that the rules that apply to the general public also apply to members of Congress. When the act was first considered, it appeared that the gift ban would pass as a separate bill. It didn’t, but the accountability act could incorporate it as a way to reduce the double standard members enjoy as part of their status.

Campaign-finance reform is another good-government measure that would demonstrate the new Congress is serious about reform. Even in this year of political upheaval, more than 90 percent of incumbents were re-elected to Congress, largely because they have had at least two years to raise huge amounts of cash. A serious finance-reform measure would limit the amount spent on an election and seek ways for challengers to get their messages to the public.

Public cynicism about the political system is in part a product of Congress’ accumulated failures on basic issues of fairness and openness, including access of lobbyists and campaign costs. The Congress will open with new leaders and a new party in charge; the public shouldn’t have to put up with the same old answers.