[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              GIFT REFORM

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise to state briefly the reasons why I 
voted today in support of S. 1061, the bill to reform the rules of the 
Senate regarding the acceptance of gifts by Members and employees of 
the Senate. That measure, of course, was approved by a resounding, 
bipartisan vote of 98-0.
  Mr. President, in the 103d Congress, I was pleased to support S. 
1935, the Congressional Gifts Reform Act, which was approved by the 
Senate on May 11, 1994, by a vote of 95 to 4. Ultimately, however, S. 
1935 did not become law because it was combined in conference with a 
controversial lobbying reform measure. As a result, the conference 
report was not approved by the Senate.
  I am pleased, Mr. President, that the Senate has now revisited the 
issue and has succeeded in reforming its Rules regarding gifts. S. 
1061, as adopted by the Senate today, represents a reasonable 
compromise among the competing proposals for gift reform. In general, 
Members and employees of the Senate will be permitted to accept only 
non-monetary gifts with a value of less than $50, with a total 
cumulative value of no more than $100, in any calendar year from any 
person, corporation, or organization. No gift with a value below $10, 
however, will count towards the $100 annual limit.
  As a member of the Select Committee on Ethics, I am strongly 
committed to keeping the ethical standards of the Senate above 
reproach. The new gift standard under which the Senate will be 
operating will make an important contribution to enhancing public 
confidence in the Senate as an institution.
  I want especially to commend the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, 
Mitch McConnell, for his exemplary leadership in working to achieve the 
compromise that resulted in the unanimous passage of S. 1061. It is my 
privilege to serve under Senator McConnell's leaderships as the 
chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics. He does an outstanding job 
of leading that important Select Committee under what are sometimes 
difficult circumstances.


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