[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 54 (Friday, May 6, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                           AMENDMENT NO. 1683

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, early this morning, we passed, by voice 
vote, a manager's amendment. At that time, I asked that two colloquys 
between Senator Simpson and me be placed in the Record after the 
passage of that amendment. It appears in the Congressional Record for 
May 5, that the colloquys were inadvertently placed in the Record prior 
to the consideration of the managers amendment.
  Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to include those colloquys in the 
Record at this point.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Mr. Simpson. We earlier passed a managers amendment which 
     banned the current practice that allowed registered lobbyists 
     to write checks to charities designated by Senators who have 
     delivered a speech for an honorarium. This prohibition, 
     however, is limited only to lobbyists and registered foreign 
     agents. Honoraria speeches can still be made under this bill. 
     Appropriate charities can still be designated by the Senator 
     making the speech. The major change in the law is that the 
     payments must not be written or tendered by lobbyists or 
     foreign agents. Of course, 100 percent of any honoraria must 
     go to the charity. I wish to direct this inquiry to the 
     author of the bill, Senator Levin. On February 13, 1992, 
     Senator Kennedy and I received a ruling from the Senate 
     Ethics Committee in regard to our participation in a series 
     of broadcasts known as ``Face Off'' on the Mutual Broadcast 
     System. As a result of our participation on ``Face Off,'' we 
     are able to direct $25,000 per year to various charitable 
     causes. We are, of course, prohibited from personally keeping 
     one cent of that money. The checks to the selected charities 
     are received from the broadcast group which produces ``Face 
     Off.'' The Broadcast Group is neither a foreign agent or a 
     registered lobbyist. Would the bill, as amended, in the view 
     of the Senator from Michigan, have any adverse effect on this 
     arrangement?
       Mr. Levin. If the Broadcast Group is neither a registered 
     lobbyist nor a foreign agent, it is my opinion that this bill 
     would not in any way change, alter or amend the earlier 
     Ethics Committee ruling on that subject.

       Mr. Simpson. Mr. President, in the year 1992 our Senate 
     colleagues directed over $500,000 to go to charities as a 
     result of speeches which they made. By current law, not one 
     cent of those funds went into any Member's pockets. In 1991, 
     the amount was over $762,000. These funds go to organizations 
     such as the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, the American Cancer 
     Society, universities, community colleges, environmental and 
     Conservation causes, scholarship programs, veterans groups, 
     and many other worthwhile charitable and educational 
     institutions. I believe this kind of work which Senators do 
     to benefit charities is most commendable. This bill would 
     have banned that type of activity entirely. I was prepared to 
     offer an amendment which would have continued current law 
     regarding charitable honoraria. Since my amendment became 
     known to my old friend, Senator Carl Levin, the author of the 
     legislation, he and I and our respective staff members have 
     engaged in fruitful negotiations. I think we have achieved a 
     solution which will allow these types of worthwhile 
     organizations to continue to receive proceeds from honoraria. 
     However, since this bill is mostly about appearances, and the 
     perceived influence of registered lobbyists, we have agreed 
     to modifications of the current system. I commend Senator 
     Levin and his staff for their work in helping to draft this 
     resolution.
       As I understand it, provisions in the managers' amendment 
     would prohibit charitable contributions in lieu of honoraria 
     if those contributions are made directly by a lobbyist or a 
     registered foreign agency is that correct?
       Mr. Levin. That is correct.
       Mr. Simpson. However, I understand that nothing in the 
     managers' amendment which includes the provisions I requested 
     would prohibit a Member from entering into an agreement to 
     make a speech, and then to direct that an honorarium for the 
     speech go to appropriate charities so long as the person who 
     writes the check to the charity is not a registered lobbyist 
     or registered foreign agent. Is that correct?
       Mr. Levin. That is correct. It is not our intention to 
     prohibit Senators from directing honoraria proceeds to worthy 
     charities. However, we do not want the perception to be that 
     lobbyists are seeking to influence a Senator by contributing 
     to his or her favorite charity. The entire focus of this bill 
     is to avoid that sort of perception. Accordingly, the 
     prohibition extends only to lobbyists or foreign agents.
       Mr. Simpson. I very much appreciate the outstanding 
     cooperation I have received from my fine friends, Senator 
     Levin and Senator Cohen, in arriving at a satisfactory 
     solution to this matter.

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