[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 52 (Wednesday, May 4, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     CONGRESSIONAL GIFTS REFORM ACT

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               McCONNELL (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1674

  Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Dole, and Mr. Inouye) 
proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 1935) to prohibit lobbyists and 
their clients from providing to Legislative Branch officials certain 
gifts, meals, entertainment, reimbursements, or loans and to place 
limits on and require disclosure by lobbyists of certain expenditures; 
as follows:

       In lieu of the language proposed to be inserted insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. PENALTIES.

       ``(1) Any Senator, officer, or employee who receives a 
     third reprimand pursuant to the provisions of subsection 
     (a)(2) shall--
       ``(A) if the individual is a Senator, be--
       ``(i) expelled from the Senate if an expulsion resolution 
     is agreed to pursuant to paragraph (2); and
       ``(ii) barred for 10 years from lobbying in the Senate; and
       ``(B) if the individual is an officer or employee, be--
       ``(i) dismissed; and
       ``(ii) barred for 10 years from lobbying in the Senate.
       ``(2) Not later than 5 session days after a Senator is 
     reprimanded a third time, the Senate shall consider and 
     dispose of a resolution of expulsion with respect to such 
     Senator.''.
       (b) Gift Violations.--Rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of 
     the Senate is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
     following:
       ``5. (a) Any Member, officer, or employee who violates this 
     rule shall be subject to a fine of up to 3 times the value of 
     the improper gift. The fine shall be levied by the Select 
     Committee on Ethics and shall be payable to the general fund 
     of the Treasury.
       ``(b) The name of an individual fined pursuant to 
     subparagraph (a) and the amount of any fine shall be 
     published in the Congressional Record.''.

     SEC. 2. GIFT LIMITS.

       (a) In General.--Rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate is amended--
       (1) in paragraph 1(a) by striking ``more than the minimal 
     value as established by section 7342(a)(5) of title 5, United 
     States Code, or $250, whichever is greater,'' and inserting 
     ``more than a minimal value of $150''; and
       (2) in paragraph 1(b)(2) by striking ``$100'' and inserting 
     ``$75''.
       (b) Rules Committee.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
     of law, the Committee on Rules and Administration, on behalf 
     of the Senate, may accept a gift if the gift does not involve 
     any duty, burden, or condition, or is not made dependent upon 
     some future performance by the United States. The committee 
     is authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations as are 
     necessary to carry out this subsection.

     SEC. 3. TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.

       Rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     adding after paragraph 2 the following:
       ``2A. (a) Necessary travel-related expenses as defined by 
     paragraph 2(c), to the extent limited by subparagraph (c), 
     are not prohibited by this rule in connection with meetings, 
     speaking engagements, fact finding trips, and similar events 
     related to the official duties of the Member, officer, or 
     employee if--
       ``(1) the expenditure covers the cost of the trip for a 
     period of not more than--
       ``(A) 3 consecutive days (excluding travel days) in the 
     case of domestic travel and 7 consecutive days (excluding 
     travel days) in the case of international travel; and
       ``(B) 24 hours before or after such person's actual 
     participation in the event in the case of domestic travel or 
     48 hours before or after such person's actual participation 
     in the event in the case of international travel; and
       ``(2) the Member, officer, or employee has caused the 
     following information to be published in the Congressional 
     Record in advance of the travel (unless advance publication 
     is not possible because the travel arrangements cannot be 
     made in time for the information to be published while the 
     Senate is in session or for other good reason (in which case 
     the information shall be provided in advance of the travel to 
     the Secretary of the Senate who shall make the information 
     available to the public immediately and shall cause the 
     information to be published in the next Congressional 
     Record)):
       ``(A) The name of the Member, officer, or employee.
       ``(B) The dates and itinerary of such travel.
       ``(C) A statement of the purposes of such travel.
       ``(D) The identity of the party making the expenditure.
       ``(b) The requirements of subparagraph (a)(1) may be waived 
     in exceptional circumstances if the Member, officer, or 
     employee obtains a written statement from the Select 
     Committee on Ethics of the Senate that approves the waiver 
     and explains the justification for the waiver. That committee 
     shall cause the statement to be published in the 
     Congressional Record in advance of the travel (unless advance 
     publication is not possible because the waiver is granted at 
     a time when the Senate is not in session or for other good 
     reason (in which case the committee shall, in advance of the 
     travel, provide a copy of the statement to the Secretary of 
     the Senate who shall make the information available to the 
     public immediately and shall cause the statement to be 
     published in the next Congressional Record)).
       ``(c) Necessary travel-related expenditures are limited to 
     expenditures for a Member, officer, or employee's 
     transportation, lodging, conference fees and materials, and 
     meals, including reimbursement for necessary transportation 
     whether or not such transportation occurs within the periods 
     described in subparagraph (a)(1), but do not include 
     expenditures for--
       ``(1) recreational activities, such as greens fees, ski 
     lift tickets, tennis court time, theater tickets, tickets to 
     sporting events, and similar items (except as provided in 
     subparagraph (e)); or
       ``(2) entertainment, other than that provided in connection 
     with meals offered as an integral part of the event.
       ``(d) Except as provided in subparagraph (e), an event the 
     activities of which are substantially recreational shall not 
     be considered to be directly related to the official duties 
     of a Member, officer, or employee.
       ``(e) A Member, officer, or employee may receive payment or 
     reimbursement for expenses, including travel, in connection 
     with a charitable event if the expenses are approved as 
     provided in subparagraph (a)(2).''.

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