The Obama administration is once again finding itself at odds with the business community. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), a trade group that represents the nation's hotels, is blasting a new rule proposed by the Office of Government Ethics, the LA Times reports.

The new rule would prohibit most federal employees from accepting free admission to conferences and other gatherings held by businesses or organizations that lobby the government.

This is one among a group of rules that stems from President Barack Obama's ethics standards for the executive branch, enacted in an executive order signed his first full day in office, The Washington Post reports. The order followed a campaign season in which Obama and other Democrats assailed the role of lobbyists in the policymaking process, the Post reports.

Obama has made clear that he believes an unhealthy lobbyist culture exists in Washington and he vowed to do something about it. Such a position resonates largely with the American public.

AH&LA says this rule is unneeded and would prevent federal employees from mingling with people to learn about trends and problems in the country, reports the LA Times.

The Office of Government Ethics believes invitations to social events “can provide the opportunity for a lobbyist not only to discuss any pending issues with the employee but also to foster a social bond that may be of greater use in the long run,” the Washington Times reports.

According to the LA Times, AH&LA President Joe McInerney said in a statement, "this [new rule] would have grave consequences for hotels, the economy and the millions of workers our industry employs."