Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush outlined a wide-ranging plan to rein in the size of the federal government and curb the influence of Washington lobbyists on Monday, the New York Times reported.

The former Florida governor wants the federal workforce reduced by 10 percent and called for an immediate hiring freeze on government employees. Beyond a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, he also proposed a lobbying ban for former members of Congress, who could only join K Street six years after they leave the legislative branch.

"We need to help politicians rediscover life outside of Washington," Bush said at a speech in Florida's capital of Tallahassee. "Which -- who knows? -- might even be a pleasant surprise for them." 

Ex-members of the U.S. Senate are already barred from lobbying their former colleagues for two years after stepping down, the Wall Street Journal recalled; former House members, meanwhile, need to hold off for at least a year. But many ex-lawmakers simply ditch the term "lobbyist" and avoid the associated restrictions by dubbing themselves "strategic advisers" or using similar titles.

Joshua Rosenstein, an attorney with Sandler Reiff who advises clients on compliance with lobbying regulations, told Mother Jones that circumventing lobbying restrictions is child's play.

"You have countless cases of very high-profile former members who may well be in contact with their former colleagues, but don't meet the threshold and therefore aren't subject to the restrictions," Rosenstein explained. "You can already sit on the sidelines and advise clients on congressional policy or the reality of moving a bill through either chamber without ever running afoul of anything."

That is why "we need a president willing to challenge the whole culture in our nation's capital," Bush suggested, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But after moving out of the governor's mansion in Tallahassee, Bush himself had opened a lucrative consulting business, Mother Jones recalled, and his collaboration with top names in Florida's business community led to significant rise in his annual income.