[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10859-S10860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LOBBYING REFORM AND GIFT BAN

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, as we finish up on the important piece of 
legislation, the lobbying reform and the gift ban, I want to take a 
minute to thank the many people who worked to produce a significant 
step toward restoring confidence in this institution.
  And it clearly would not have been possible without the leadership of 
the distinguished Democratic leader, Senator Daschle.
  I want to thank him for placing his confidence in me to chair the 
working group--a task which I shared equally with my cochair Senator 
Levin, and whom I want to extend a special thanks, along with his most 
capable staff. Our job was made infinitely more easy by the 
considerable amount of hard work, time, and effort the working group 
and their staffs dedicated to making this process work. That group 
include Senators Wellstone, Feingold, Lautenberg, Rockefeller, Breaux, 
Dodd, and Reid. And I offer my thanks and congratulations for a job 
well done to them and their staffs.
  I also want to commend my colleague, the Majority Whip Trent Lott, 
whose leadership and hard-working staff helped bring cooperation and 
closure to this issue. Because of the hard work of all of these people, 
I think we now have a piece of legislation that all who participated in 
can be proud of and will have a stake in.
  Before I close, I do want to say that this reform is a step in--not 
an end to--the process of reforming Congress and of making this an 
institution that inspires confidence and pride from all Americans.
  Tickets to a concern, a ball game, or an occasional lunch or dinner 
raise the 

[[Page S 10860]]
eyebrows of our constituents, and lower our esteem in their eyes. And 
that is inexcusable. But, the true role and influence of special 
interests on Congress is not determined by these gifts. Rather, the 
true role and influence of special interests on Congress lies with the 
financial contributions that Members of Congress receive for their 
campaigns.
  If we use our successes on lobbying reform and the gift ban as a 
substitute for campaign reform, then we will have failed.
  The practice of raising unlimited amounts of money through 
fundraisers hosted by corporations and lobbyists, distinguishes us from 
the executive branch. That branch of Government could never justify 
such an act, and neither should we.
  Yet, the majority of Members of this body participate in the never-
ending ritual of chasing after special interest money. And despite our 
success on lobbying reform, despite our success on gift ban, this money 
chase is the true impediment to the independence of our elected 
officials.
 The effort to restrict the gifts a Member may or may not receive is 
vital but incomplete. With or without gift reform, Congress will 
continue to be diminished in the eyes of the public until we pass 
comprehensive campaign reform.

  So, Mr. President, I urge my colleagues not to let our efforts on 
gift and lobbying reform be a hollow gesture but, rather, the 
predecessor to comprehensive reform and to fully securing the respect 
and trust of the American people.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. CHAFEE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask that I might proceed for 2 minutes 
as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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