[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 149 (Thursday, December 1, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: December 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, during the debate on S. 349, the 
Lobbying Disclosure Act, just prior to the recess, I was deluged with 
hundreds of phone calls, faxes, and letters urging me to oppose that 
legislation, which I did. My constituents and the organizations to 
which many of them belong were concerned with the provisions proposing 
to regulate grassroots lobbying.
  Illustrative of their concern is a letter recently published in 
newspapers across my home State of South Dakota. As I am sure many of 
my colleagues had similar experiences with this issue, I would like to 
share this letter with them.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the letter appear in the 
Record immediately following my remarks.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                   Pressler Voted Right Way on Reform

       To the Editor: Sen. Pressler deserves our thanks for 
     opposing the so-called ``lobbying reform bill.'' This 
     legislation would have made many citizens hesitant about 
     contacting their elected officials in Washington. Making 
     ordinary citizens register as lobbyists is not what the 
     founding fathers intended.
       The regulations and paperwork required under this law would 
     have placed a great burden on our organization and its 
     members in South Dakota. I'm sure many of our members would 
     not have bothered contacting our elected leaders about 
     upcoming legislation if it meant living under this law.
       Grassroots organizations like ours try to make it easy for 
     our members to get in touch with elected representatives. 
     This so-called lobbying reform bill was merely an attempt by 
     some lawmakers to make it harder for grassroots organizations 
     to lobby Congress.
       We thought the ban on gifts to members of Congress and 
     their staffs was a good part of the bill. So did Sen. 
     Pressler. But legislative rules prevented passing just the 
     good parts of the conference report. Hundreds of grassroots 
     organization members called, wrote and faxed Sens. Daschle 
     and Pressler and Rep. Johnson to urge a vote against the 
     bill. Sen. Pressler was the only one who voted the right way. 
     He did the right thing in voting against this bill, while 
     stating his continued support for a separate gift ban.

                                                  Ed Glassgow,

                                  Chairman, South Dakota Christian
     Coalition, Rapid City.

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