WASHINGTON — In the most sweeping overhaul of congressional ethics rules since the Watergate era, the House yesterday overwhelmingly approved a bill aimed at curbing the influence of lobbyists and repairing Congress' image.

Democrats promised to pass the measure after they won control of Congress following a campaign that denounced the Republican "culture of corruption" on Capitol Hill.

The bill would impose new rules on lawmakers and lobbyists, requiring reports on the campaign checks that lobbyists solicit from contributors and denying congressional pensions to lawmakers convicted of felonies. The Senate plans to approve an identical bill this week and send it to President Bush for his signature.

"If there was one message that was abundantly clear based on the results of last year's election, it was that the American people want us to end the culture of corruption that has enveloped the legislative process," said Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "We've heard that message loud and clear."

The bill's 411-8 approval comes after two former Republican lawmakers — Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California and Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio — and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff were sent to prison on corruption charges. About a dozen current and former lawmakers have come under scrutiny. Just this week, federal agents involved in a public corruption investigation searched the Alaska home of Sen. Ted Stevens, the chamber's longest-serving Republican.

Hawai'i's representatives in Congress were divided over the measure.

Rep. Mazie Hirono was among the majority of Democrats who voted to pass the bill. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, among six Democrats who voted against the measure, called the bill "window dressing."

The bill would, for the first time, require disclosure of campaign contributions that lobbyists collect from clients, friends and others and then take credit for raising. The practice, known as bundling, is a major source of lobbyists' influence over Washington politicians. The bill would require congressional and presidential campaigns to report bundled donations of $15,000 or more collected in a six-month period.

The legislation also aims to end the process that has allowed lawmakers to slip special-interest appropriations — often at a lobbyist's behest — into legislation. It would require disclosure of the names of the lawmakers behind the spending requests.