[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 121 (Tuesday, July 25, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10596-S10597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRESSIONAL GIFT REFORM ACT

  Mr. DOLE. Finally, Mr. President, let me say with reference to the 
gift ban, 

[[Page S 10597]]
that has been debated this morning. It started at 9 o'clock, it would 
be my hope that during the debate on Bosnia we could continue our 
bipartisan efforts to reach some agreement on a gift ban.
  I do not know of anybody here that will live or die based on what 
happens on the gift ban. I think what we want to make certain of is 
that you do not have someone in this body who gets in trouble for some 
unintentional act.
  I received five birthday cakes last week. I am not certain what the 
value of the cakes were. I only ate one piece. But I might be in 
trouble because I am certain that the value of some of those cakes was 
in excess of $20.
  I was in Ocala, FL, on Sunday. They gave me a very nice piece of 
artistic work from wood. I do not know the value of it. The artist is 
not well known but well known in that part of Florida. Are we to say we 
cannot take that? There was not any lobbying group there. There were 
about 400 people there. For some reason they were happy I was there, 
and they gave me this gift.
  I believe that the thing we want to make certain of is that we do not 
go over the cliff here. I know there are 23 exemptions, as I understand 
it, for ``nonlobbyists.'' But I would hope my friend from Kentucky, who 
is present on the floor, would make certain, in our effort to make 
certain we are all simon pure, that we do not unintentionally involve 
one of our colleagues in some difficulty down the road if somebody in 
an election year, particularly if somebody did not register this 
birthday cake, they did not register this or that. I think it is easy 
to go to the extreme.
  If you do not have any friends they do not give you any gifts, and 
you do not have any problem. But most of us have friends, and they are 
good people. They are people from our home State, and people from other 
States which we visit.
  I am talking about minimal gifts, not anything of any great 
substance.
  If we can work out a bipartisan agreement, then obviously we will 
take it up tomorrow. If not, we may delay it for a while because we 
want to start on the State Department authorization bill. Hopefully, we 
can finish that in 2 or 3 days. That would still leave DOD 
authorization and appropriations, also foreign operations, welfare 
reform bill, four appropriations bills, the Ryan White bill, and a few 
other things before we recess for August.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the clerk will call the 
roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Ashcroft). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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