[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 137 (Wednesday, September 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H8555-H8572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    WAIVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1854, 
              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, 
I call up House Resolution 206 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 206

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to consider the conference report to accompany the 
     bill (H.R. 1854) making appropriations for the Legislative 
     Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for 
     other purposes. All points of order against the conference 
     report and against its consideration are waived.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida [Mr. Diaz-Balart] 
is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I 
yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Frost], 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During 
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded as for the purpose 
of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring forth the first of the 13 
appropriations bills that has made it through the conference process. 
This rule is very simple--it merely waives points of order against the 
consideration of the conference report. Specifically, the rule contains 
waivers for three items that go beyond the scope of the conference, 
thereby waiving clause 3 of rule XXVIII. There are also a few 
legislative items which necessitate a waiver of clause 2 of rule XX.
  There was very little discussion at the hearing to grant the rule and 
I do not believe there should be much controversy surrounding it.
  Before the district work period, I read press accounts that the 
President may be considering a veto of this conference report, not 
because he disagrees with any of its substance, but rather because it 
is the first of the necessary 13 spending measures to reach his desk, 
and he may, apparently, wish to protest against some other bills that 
he does not have substantive objections to.
  I think that action by the President would be very unfortunate--but 
we need to proceed with the responsibilities that we have, like passing 
the appropriations bills. And with this bill we are setting the example 
of moving toward a balanced budget by reducing our own budget first. As 
a Member of Congress who serves on both of the Speaker-appointed 
committees, and in my role on the Committee on House Oversight, I am 
very proud of the reforms achieved in H.R. 1854 and retained in this 
conference report, based on the recommendations by House Oversight. We 
had some tough choices to make, but getting our own House in order and 
cutting our own budget was a necessary and important first step in the 
long and difficult road toward achieving a balanced Federal budget.
  Mr. Speaker, as you will recall from the House's consideration of 
this bill in June, H.R. 1854 incorporates House Oversight plans to 
greatly reform the internal workings of the House of Representatives, 
and over the next few months alone, save the taxpayers $7 million by 
streamlining operations. This bill is below the subcommittee's 602(B) 
allocation and is over 8 percent below last year's spending level. 
Additionally, H.R. 1854 eliminates, consolidates and reduces, and paves 
the way for the privatization of some functions that may be less costly 
when performed by the private sector.
  I would like to commend Chairman Thomas, Chairman Packard, Ranking 
Member Fazio and of course Chairman Livingston, for their excellent 
work in bringing this conference report forward.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 206 is necessary to preserve the 
agreements reached in conference on legislative branch appropriations I 
urge adoption of both the rule and the conference report.
 Rule for Legislative Branch Appropriation Conference Report Specific 
                 Waivers Included in the General Waiver


      items beyond the scope of conference (clause 3, rule xxviii)

       Amendment #10 adds new features to the Senate proposal for 
     60 days of severance pay for employees of the Office of 
     Technology Assessment (OTA), such as entitlement to health 
     benefits. The House had no comparable provision.
       Amendment #34 includes a provision directing the Public 
     Printer to propose a 

[[Page H 8556]]
     means to create cost incentives for publishing agencies, including 
     Congress, to migrate from print-on paper products to 
     electronic format. This is a different approach from that 
     recommended by the House. There was no Senate provision on 
     this subject.
       Amendment #55 drops a Senate provision regarding reductions 
     in facility energy costs. There was no comparable House 
     provision. Then three new provisions were inserted as 
     follows: (1) to specify the law enforcement authority of the 
     House Sergeant at Arms, (2) to clarify existing authority of 
     the Committee on House Oversight to consolidate 
     representational allowances of House Members, and (3) to 
     establish an account to pay settlements under the 
     Congressional Accountability Act and to require that 
     specified Congressional agencies submit proposals to reduce 
     facility energy costs.


legislative items on an appropriation conference report (clause 2, rule 
                              xx)--example

       Amendment #10 establishes a new procedure for the phase out 
     of OTA employees.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, while I may not agree with the priorities established in 
the conference report to accompany the fiscal year 1996 legislative 
branch appropriation, I support this rule. I will, however, oppose the 
previous question.
  As we have in years past, the Committee on Rules has recommended a 
rule which waives all points of order against the consideration of the 
conference report. The Democratic members of the Rules Committee concur 
that these waivers should be granted.
  Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that the conference report is penny wise 
and pound foolish with regard to the continued existence of the Office 
of Technology Assessment. We all agree that every part of the 
Government needs to be carefully examined and subjected to cuts, it 
does not make a great deal of sense to me to abolish a congressional 
support agency which has provided us with invaluable information about 
science and technology. The work of the OTA has been supported on a 
bipartisan basis, and in fact, in July, the House voted 228 to 201 to 
continue the functions of this agency. Yet, the conference agreement 
contains a provision which terminates OTA. It is my view the abolition 
of such an information source is really counterproductive and the loss 
of this office will be one we in the Congress will live to regret.
  Mr. Speaker, while I support this rule, I will support the 
proposition of the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bryant] to defeat the 
previous question in order to allow the House to consider lobby reform 
and a gift ban. As we all know, the Senate has now adopted such a ban 
and it is high time that the House be afforded an opportunity to vote 
on this good government issue. This proposition is identical to the 
Senate passed lobby reform and gift ban adapted to apply to House 
rules. The Bryant proposal is not anything new and different, it is 
merely an opportunity to do for the House what the Senate has already 
wisely and prudently imposed upon themselves. For that reason, I will 
support Mr. Bryant and his proposed amendment to this rule.
  I would ask that the amendment to the rule be printed in the Record 
at this point. The amendment would adopt the text of a concurrent 
resolution providing lobby and gift reform, and I would ask that the 
text of House Concurrent Resolution 99 also be printed in the Record at 
this point.
  The material referred to is as follows:

  Amendment to Rule on H.R. 1854 Legislative Branch Conference Report

       ``Section 2. Upon the adoption of this resolution, the 
     House shall be considered to have adopted a concurrent 
     resolution (H. Con. Res. 99) directing the Clerk of the House 
     to correct the enrollment of H.R. 1854.
       ``Section 3. The Clerk of the House of Representatives 
     shall not send to the Senate a message informing the Senate 
     of the adoption by the House of the conference report on H.R. 
     1854 until the House receives a message from the Senate 
     informing the House of the adoption of a concurrent 
     resolution (H. Con. Res. 99) directing the Clerk of the House 
     to correct the enrollment of H.R. 1854.''
                            H. Con. Res. 99

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That in the enrollment of the bill (H.R. 1854) 
     entitled, ``An Act making appropriations for the Legislative 
     Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for 
     other purposes'', the Clerk of the House shall make the 
     following correction:
       At the end of title III add the following:
                     TITLE IV--LOBBYING DISCLOSURE

     SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
     1995''.

     SEC. 402. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) responsible representative Government requires public 
     awareness of the efforts of paid lobbyists to influence the 
     public decisionmaking process in both the legislative and 
     executive branches of the Federal Government;
       (2) existing lobbying disclosure statutes have been 
     ineffective because of unclear statutory language, weak 
     administrative and enforcement provisions, and an absence of 
     clear guidance as to who is required to register and what 
     they are required to disclose; and
       (3) the effective public disclosure of the identity and 
     extent of the efforts of paid lobbyists to influence Federal 
     officials in the conduct of Government actions will increase 
     public confidence in the integrity of Government.

     SEC. 403. DEFINITIONS.

       As used in this title:
       (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code.
       (2) Client.--The term ``client'' means any person or entity 
     that employs or retains another person for financial or other 
     compensation to conduct lobbying activities on behalf of that 
     person or entity. A person or entity whose employees act as 
     lobbyists on its own behalf is both a client and an employer 
     of such employees. In the case of a coalition or association 
     that employs or retains other persons to conduct lobbying 
     activities, the client is the coalition or association and 
     not its individual members.
       (3) Covered executive branch official.--The term ``covered 
     executive branch official'' means--
       (A) the President;
       (B) the Vice President;
       (C) any officer or employee, or any other individual 
     functioning in the capacity of such an officer or employee, 
     in the Executive Office of the President;
       (D) any officer or employee serving in a position in level 
     I, II, III, IV, or V of the Executive Schedule, as designated 
     by statute or Executive order;
       (E) any member of the uniformed services whose pay grade is 
     at or above O-7 under section 201 of title 37, United States 
     Code; and
       (F) any officer or employee serving in a position of a 
     confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-
     advocating character described in section 7511(b)(2) of title 
     5, United States Code.
       (4) Covered legislative branch official.--The term 
     ``covered legislative branch official'' means--
       (A) a Member of Congress;
       (B) an elected officer of either House of Congress;
       (C) any employee of, or any other individual functioning in 
     the capacity of an employee of--
       (i) a Member of Congress;
       (ii) a committee of either House of Congress;
       (iii) the leadership staff of the House of Representatives 
     or the leadership staff of the Senate;
       (iv) a joint committee of Congress; and
       (v) a working group or caucus organized to provide 
     legislative services or other assistance to Members of 
     Congress; and
       (D) any other legislative branch employee serving in a 
     position described under section 109(13) of the Ethics in 
     Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
       (5) Employee.--The term ``employee'' means any individual 
     who is an officer, employee, partner, director, or proprietor 
     of a person or entity, but does not include--
       (A) independent contractors; or
       (B) volunteers who receive no financial or other 
     compensation from the person or entity for their services.
       (6) Foreign entity.--The term ``foreign entity'' means a 
     foreign principal (as defined in section 1(b) of the Foreign 
     Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611(b)).
       (7) Lobbying activities.--The term ``lobbying activities'' 
     means lobbying contacts and efforts in support of such 
     contacts, including preparation and planning activities, 
     research and other background work that is intended, at the 
     time it is performed, for use in contacts, and coordination 
     with the lobbying activities of others.
       (8) Lobbying contact.--
       (A) Definition.--The term ``lobbying contact'' means any 
     oral or written communication (including an electronic 
     communication) to a covered executive branch official or a 
     covered legislative branch official that is made on behalf of 
     a client with regard to--
       (i) the formulation, modification, or adoption of Federal 
     legislation (including legislative proposals);
       (ii) the formulation, modification, or adoption of a 
     Federal rule, regulation, Executive order, or any other 
     program, policy, or position of the United States Government;
       (iii) the administration or execution of a Federal program 
     or policy (including the negotiation, award, or 
     administration of a Federal contract, grant, loan, permit, or 
     license); or
       (iv) the nomination or confirmation of a person for a 
     position subject to confirmation by the Senate.
       (B) Exceptions.--The term ``lobbying contact'' does not 
     include a communication that is--
       (i) made by a public official acting in the public 
     official's official capacity; 

[[Page H 8557]]

       (ii) made by a representative of a media organization if 
     the purpose of the communication is gathering and 
     disseminating news and information to the public;
       (iii) made in a speech, article, publication or other 
     material that is distributed and made available to the 
     public, or through radio, television, cable television, or 
     other medium of mass communication;
       (iv) made on behalf of a government of a foreign country or 
     a foreign political party and disclosed under the Foreign 
     Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.);
       (v) a request for a meeting, a request for the status of an 
     action, or any other similar administrative request, if the 
     request does not include an attempt to influence a covered 
     executive branch official or a covered legislative branch 
     official;
       (vi) made in the course of participation in an advisory 
     committee subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act;
       (vii) testimony given before a committee, subcommittee, or 
     task force of the Congress, or submitted for inclusion in the 
     public record of a hearing conducted by such committee, 
     subcommittee, or task force;
       (viii) information provided in writing in response to an 
     oral or written request by a covered executive branch 
     official or a covered legislative branch official for 
     specific information;
       (ix) required by subpoena, civil investigative demand, or 
     otherwise compelled by statute, regulation, or other action 
     of the Congress or an agency;
       (x) made in response to a notice in the Federal Register, 
     Commerce Business Daily, or other similar publication 
     soliciting communications from the public and directed to the 
     agency official specifically designated in the notice to 
     receive such communications;
       (xi) not possible to report without disclosing information, 
     the unauthorized disclosure of which is prohibited by law;
       (xii) made to an official in an agency with regard to--

       (I) a judicial proceeding or a criminal or civil law 
     enforcement inquiry, investigation, or proceeding; or
       (II) a filing or proceeding that the Government is 
     specifically required by statute or regulation to maintain or 
     conduct on a confidential basis,

     if that agency is charged with responsibility for such 
     proceeding, inquiry, investigation, or filing;
       (xiii) made in compliance with written agency procedures 
     regarding an adjudication conducted by the agency under 
     section 554 of title 5, United States Code, or substantially 
     similar provisions;
       (xiv) a written comment filed in the course of a public 
     proceeding or any other communication that is made on the 
     record in a public proceeding;
       (xv) a petition for agency action made in writing and 
     required to be a matter of public record pursuant to 
     established agency procedures;
       (xvi) made on behalf of an individual with regard to that 
     individual's benefits, employment, or other personal matters 
     involving only that individual, except that this clause does 
     not apply to any communication with--

       (I) a covered executive branch official, or
       (II) a covered legislative branch official (other than the 
     individual's elected Members of Congress or employees who 
     work under such Members' direct supervision),

     with respect to the formulation, modification, or adoption of 
     private legislation for the relief of that individual;
       (xvii) a disclosure by an individual that is protected 
     under the amendments made by the Whistleblower Protection Act 
     of 1989, under the Inspector General Act of 1978, or under 
     another provision of law;
       (xviii) made by--

       (I) a church, its integrated auxiliary, or a convention or 
     association of churches that is exempt from filing a Federal 
     income tax return under paragraph 2(A)(i) of section 6033(a) 
     of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or
       (II) a religious order that is exempt from filing a Federal 
     income tax return under paragraph (2)(A)(iii) of such section 
     6033(a); and

       (xix) between--

       (I) officials of a self-regulatory organization (as defined 
     in section 3(a)(26) of the Securities Exchange Act) that is 
     registered with or established by the Securities and Exchange 
     Commission as required by that Act or a similar organization 
     that is designated by or registered with the Commodities 
     Future Trading Commission as provided under the Commodity 
     Exchange Act; and
       (II) the Securities and Exchange Commission or the 
     Commodities Future Trading Commission, respectively;

     relating to the regulatory responsibilities of such 
     organization under that Act.
       (9) Lobbying firm.--The term ``lobbying firm'' means a 
     person or entity that has 1 or more employees who are 
     lobbyists on behalf of a client other than that person or 
     entity. The term also includes a self-employed individual who 
     is a lobbyist.
       (10) Lobbyist.--The term ``lobbyist'' means any individual 
     who is employed or retained by a client for financial or 
     other compensation for services that include more than one 
     lobbying contact, other than an individual whose lobbying 
     activities constitute less than 20 percent of the time 
     engaged in the services provided by such individual to that 
     client over a six month period.
       (11) Media organization.--The term ``media organization'' 
     means a person or entity engaged in disseminating information 
     to the general public through a newspaper, magazine, other 
     publication, radio, television, cable television, or other 
     medium of mass communication.
       (12) Member of congress.--The term ``Member of Congress'' 
     means a Senator or a Representative in, or Delegate or 
     Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
       (13) Organization.--The term ``organization'' means a 
     person or entity other than an individual.
       (14) Person or entity.--The term ``person or entity'' means 
     any individual, corporation, company, foundation, 
     association, labor organization, firm, partnership, society, 
     joint stock company, group of organizations, or State or 
     local government.
       (15) Public official.--The term ``public official'' means 
     any elected official, appointed official, or employee of--
       (A) a Federal, State, or local unit of government in the 
     United States other than--
       (i) a college or university;
       (ii) a government-sponsored enterprise (as defined in 
     section 3(8) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
     Control Act of 1974);
       (iii) a public utility that provides gas, electricity, 
     water, or communications;
       (iv) a guaranty agency (as defined in section 435(j) of the 
     Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1085(j))), including 
     any affiliate of such an agency; or
       (v) an agency of any State functioning as a student loan 
     secondary market pursuant to section 435(d)(1)(F) of the 
     Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1085(d)(1)(F));
       (B) a Government corporation (as defined in section 9101 of 
     title 31, United States Code);
       (C) an organization of State or local elected or appointed 
     officials other than officials of an entity described in 
     clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) of subparagraph (A);
       (D) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 4(e) of the 
     Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
     U.S.C. 450b(e));
       (E) a national or State political party or any 
     organizational unit thereof; or
       (F) a national, regional, or local unit of any foreign 
     government.
       (16) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
     States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, 
     territory, or possession of the United States.

     SEC. 404. REGISTRATION OF LOBBYISTS.

       (a) Registration.--
       (1) General rule.--No later than 45 days after a lobbyist 
     first makes a lobbying contact or is employed or retained to 
     make a lobbying contact, whichever is earlier, such lobbyist 
     (or, as provided under paragraph (2), the organization 
     employing such lobbyist), shall register with the Secretary 
     of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Employer filing.--Any organization that has 1 or more 
     employees who are lobbyists shall file a single registration 
     under this section on behalf of such employees for each 
     client on whose behalf the employees act as lobbyists.
       (3) Exemption.--
       (A) General rule.--Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), 
     a person or entity whose--
       (i) total income for matters related to lobbying activities 
     on behalf of a particular client (in the case of a lobbying 
     firm) does not exceed and is not expected to exceed $5,000; 
     or
       (ii) total expenses in connection with lobbying activities 
     (in the case of an organization whose employees engage in 
     lobbying activities on its own behalf) do not exceed or are 
     not expected to exceed $20,000,

     (as estimated under section 405) in the semiannual period 
     described in section 405(a) during which the registration 
     would be made is not required to register under subsection 
     (a) with respect to such client.
       (B) Adjustment.--The dollar amounts in subparagraph (A) 
     shall be adjusted--
       (i) on January 1, 1997, to reflect changes in the Consumer 
     Price Index (as determined by the Secretary of Labor) since 
     the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (ii) on January 1 of each fourth year occurring after 
     January 1, 1997, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price 
     Index (as determined by the Secretary of Labor) during the 
     preceding 4-year period,

     rounded to the nearest $500.
       (b) Contents of Registration.--Each registration under this 
     section shall contain--
       (1) the name, address, business telephone number, and 
     principal place of business of the registrant, and a general 
     description of its business or activities;
       (2) the name, address, and principal place of business of 
     the registrant's client, and a general description of its 
     business or activities (if different from paragraph (1));
       (3) the name, address, and principal place of business of 
     any organization, other than the client, that--
       (A) contributes more than $10,000 toward the lobbying 
     activities of the registrant in a semiannual period described 
     in section 405(a); and
       (B) in whole or in major part plans, supervises, or 
     controls such lobbying activities.
       (4) the name, address, principal place of business, amount 
     of any contribution of more than $10,000 to the lobbying 
     activities of the registrant, and approximate percentage of 
     equitable ownership in the client (if any) of any foreign 
     entity that--

[[Page H 8558]]

       (A) holds at least 20 percent equitable ownership in the 
     client or any organization identified under paragraph (3);
       (B) directly or indirectly, in whole or in major part, 
     plans, supervises, controls, directs, finances, or subsidizes 
     the activities of the client or any organization identified 
     under paragraph (3); or
       (C) is an affiliate of the client or any organization 
     identified under paragraph (3) and has a direct interest in 
     the outcome of the lobbying activity;
       (5) a statement of--
       (A) the general issue areas in which the registrant expects 
     to engage in lobbying activities on behalf of the client; and
       (B) to the extent practicable, specific issues that have 
     (as of the date of the registration) already been addressed 
     or are likely to be addressed in lobbying activities; and
       (6) the name of each employee of the registrant who has 
     acted or whom the registrant expects to act as a lobbyist on 
     behalf of the client and, if any such employee has served as 
     a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative 
     branch official in the 2 years before the date on which such 
     employee first acted (after the date of enactment of this 
     Act) as a lobbyist on behalf of the client, the position in 
     which such employee served.
       (c) Guidelines for Registration.--
       (1) Multiple clients.--In the case of a registrant making 
     lobbying contacts on behalf of more than 1 client, a separate 
     registration under this section shall be filed for each such 
     client.
       (2) Multiple contacts.--A registrant who makes more than 1 
     lobbying contact for the same client shall file a single 
     registration covering all such lobbying contacts.
       (d) Termination of Registration.--A registrant who after 
     registration--
       (1) is no longer employed or retained by a client to 
     conduct lobbying activities, and
       (2) does not anticipate any additional lobbying activities 
     for such client,

     may so notify the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of 
     the House of Representatives and terminate its registration.

     SEC. 405. REPORTS BY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS.

       (a) Semiannual Report.--No later than 45 days after the end 
     of the semiannual period beginning on the first day of each 
     January and the first day of July of each year in which a 
     registrant is registered under section 404, each registrant 
     shall file a report with the Secretary of the Senate and the 
     Clerk of the House of Representatives on its lobbying 
     activities during such semiannual period. A separate report 
     shall be filed for each client of the registrant.
       (b) Contents of Report.--Each semiannual report filed under 
     subsection (a) shall contain--
       (1) the name of the registrant, the name of the client, and 
     any changes or updates to the information provided in the 
     initial registration;
       (2) for each general issue area in which the registrant 
     engaged in lobbying activities on behalf of the client during 
     the semiannual filing period--
       (A) a list of the specific issues upon which a lobbyist 
     employed by the registrant engaged in lobbying activities, 
     including, to the maximum extent practicable, a list of bill 
     numbers and references to specific executive branch actions;
       (B) a statement of the Houses of Congress and the Federal 
     agencies contacted by lobbyists employed by the registrant on 
     behalf of the client;
       (C) a list of the employees of the registrant who acted as 
     lobbyists on behalf of the client; and
       (D) a description of the interest, if any, of any foreign 
     entity identified under section 404(b)(4) in the specific 
     issues listed under subparagraph (A).
       (3) in the case of a lobbying firm, a good faith estimate 
     of the total amount of all income from the client (including 
     any payments to the registrant by any other person for 
     lobbying activities on behalf of the client) during the 
     semiannual period, other than income for matters that are 
     unrelated to lobbying activities; and
       (4) in the case of a registrant engaged in lobbying 
     activities on its own behalf, a good faith estimate of the 
     total expenses that the registrant and its employees incurred 
     in connection with lobbying activities during the semiannual 
     filing period.
       (c) Estimates of Income or Expenses.--For purposes of this 
     section, estimates of income or expenses shall be made as 
     follows:
       (1) Estimates of amounts in excess of $10,000 shall be 
     rounded to the nearest $20,000.
       (2) In the event income or expenses do not exceed $10,000, 
     the registrant shall include a statement that income or 
     expenses totaled less than $10,000 for the reporting period.
       (3) A registrant that reports lobbying expenditures 
     pursuant to section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code 
     of 1986 may satisfy the requirement to report income or 
     expenses by filing with the Secretary of the Senate and the 
     Clerk of the House of Representatives a copy of the form 
     filed in accordance with section 6033(b)(8).

     SEC. 406. DISCLOSURE AND ENFORCEMENT.

       The Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives shall--
       (1) provide guidance and assistance on the registration and 
     reporting requirements of this title and develop common 
     standards, rules, and procedures for compliance with this 
     title;
       (2) review, and, where necessary, verify and inquire to 
     ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of 
     registration and reports;
       (3) develop filing, coding, and cross-indexing systems to 
     carry out the purpose of this title, including--
       (A) a publicly available list of all registered lobbyists, 
     lobbying firms, and their clients; and
       (B) computerized systems designed to minimize the burden of 
     filing and maximize public access to materials filed under 
     this title;
       (4) make available for public inspection and copying at 
     reasonable times the registrations and reports filed under 
     this title;
       (5) retain registrations for a period of at least 6 years 
     after they are terminated and reports for a period of at 
     least 6 years after they are filed;
       (6) compile and summarize, with respect to each semiannual 
     period, the information contained in registrations and 
     reports filed with respect to such period in a clear and 
     complete manner;
       (7) notify any lobbyist or lobbying firm in writing that 
     may be in noncompliance with this title; and
       (8) notify the United States Attorney for the District of 
     Columbia that a lobbyist or lobbying firm may be in 
     noncompliance with this title, if the registrant has been 
     notified in writing and has failed to provide an appropriate 
     response within 60 days after notice was given under 
     paragraph (6).

     SEC. 407. PENALTIES.

       Whoever knowingly fails to--
       (1) remedy a defective filing within 60 days after notice 
     of such a defect by the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk 
     of the House of Representatives; or
       (2) comply with any other provision of this title;

     shall, upon proof of such knowing violation by a 
     preponderance of the evidence, be subject to a civil fine of 
     not more than $50,000, depending on the extent and gravity of 
     the violation.

     SEC. 408. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

       (a) Constitutional Rights.--Nothing in this title shall be 
     construed to prohibit or interfere with--
       (1) the right to petition the government for the redress of 
     grievances;
       (2) the right to express a personal opinion; or
       (3) the right of association,

     protected by the first amendment to the Constitution.
       (b) Prohibition of Activities.--Nothing in this title shall 
     be construed to prohibit, or to authorize any court to 
     prohibit, lobbying activities or lobbying contacts by any 
     person or entity, regardless of whether such person or entity 
     is in compliance with the requirements of this title.
       (c) Audit and Investigations.--Nothing in this title shall 
     be construed to grant general audit or investigative 
     authority to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the 
     House of Representatives.

     SEC. 409. AMENDMENTS TO THE FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT.

       The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611 
     et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 1--
       (A) by striking subsection (j);
       (B) in subsection (o) by striking ``the dissemination of 
     political propaganda and any other activity which the person 
     engaging therein believes will, or which he intends to, 
     prevail upon, indoctrinate, convert, induce, persuade, or in 
     any other way influence'' and inserting ``any activity that 
     the person engaging in believes will, or that the person 
     intends to, in any way influence'';
       (C) in subsection (p) by striking the semicolon and 
     inserting a period; and
       (D) by striking subsection (q);
       (2) in section 3(g) (22 U.S.C. 613(g)), by striking 
     ``established agency proceedings, whether formal or 
     informal.'' and inserting ``judicial proceedings, criminal or 
     civil law enforcement inquiries, investigations, or 
     proceedings, or agency proceedings required by statute or 
     regulation to be conducted on the record.'';
       (3) in section 3 (22 U.S.C. 613) by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(h) Any agent of a person described in section 1(b)(2) or 
     an entity described in section 1(b)(3) if the agent is 
     required to register and does register under the Lobbying 
     Disclosure Act of 1995 in connection with the agent's 
     representation of such person or entity.'';
       (4) in section 4(a) (22 U.S.C. 614(a))--
       (A) by striking ``political propaganda'' and inserting 
     ``informational materials''; and
       (B) by striking ``and a statement, duly signed by or on 
     behalf of such an agent, setting forth full information as to 
     the places, times, and extent of such transmittal'';
       (5) in section 4(b) (22 U.S.C. 614(b))--
       (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``political propaganda'' and inserting ``informational 
     materials''; and
       (B) by striking ``(i) in the form of prints, or'' and all 
     that follows through the end of the subsection and inserting 
     ``without placing in such informational materials a 
     conspicuous statement that the materials are distributed by 
     the agent on behalf of the foreign principal, and that 
     additional information is on file with the Department of 
     Justice, Washington, District of Columbia. The Attorney 
     General may by rule define what constitutes a conspicuous 
     statement for the purposes of this subsection.'';
       (6) in section 4(c) (22 U.S.C. 614(c)), by striking 
     ``political propaganda'' and inserting ``informational 
     materials'';
       (7) in section 6 (22 U.S.C. 616)--

[[Page H 8559]]

       (A) in subsection (a) by striking ``and all statements 
     concerning the distribution of political propaganda'';
       (B) in subsection (b) by striking ``, and one copy of every 
     item of political propaganda''; and
       (C) in subsection (c) by striking ``copies of political 
     propaganda,'';
       (8) in section 8 (22 U.S.C. 618)--
       (A) in subsection (a)(2) by striking ``or in any statement 
     under section 4(a) hereof concerning the distribution of 
     political propaganda''; and
       (B) by striking subsection (d); and
       (9) in section 11 (22 U.S.C. 621) by striking ``, including 
     the nature, sources, and content of political propaganda 
     disseminated or distributed''.

     SEC. 410. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYRD AMENDMENT.

       (a) Revised Certification Requirements.--Section 1352(b) of 
     title 31, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2) by striking subparagraphs (A), (B), 
     and (C) and inserting the following:
       ``(A) the name of any registrant under the Lobbying 
     Disclosure Act of 1995 who has made lobbying contacts on 
     behalf of the person with respect to that Federal contract, 
     grant, loan, or cooperative agreement; and
       ``(B) a certification that the person making the 
     declaration has not made, and will not make, any payment 
     prohibited by subsection (a).'';
       (2) in paragraph (3) by striking all that follows ``loan 
     shall contain'' and inserting ``the name of any registrant 
     under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 who has made 
     lobbying contacts on behalf of the person in connection with 
     that loan insurance or guarantee.''; and
       (3) by striking paragraph (6) and redesignating paragraph 
     (7) as paragraph (6).
       (b) Removal of Obsolete Reporting Requirement.--Section 
     1352 of title 31, United States Code, is further amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (d); and
       (2) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as 
     subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g), respectively.

     SEC. 411. REPEAL OF CERTAIN LOBBYING PROVISIONS.

       (a) Repeal of the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act.--The 
     Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (2 U.S.C. 261 et seq.) is 
     repealed.
       (b) Repeal of Provisions Relating to Housing Lobbyist 
     Activities.--
       (1) Section 13 of the Department of Housing and Urban 
     Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3537b) is repealed.
       (2) Section 536(d) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 
     1490p(d)) is repealed.

     SEC. 412. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO OTHER STATUTES.

       (a) Amendment to Competitiveness Policy Council Act.--
     Section 5206(e) of the Competitiveness Policy Council Act (15 
     U.S.C. 4804(e)) is amended by inserting ``or a lobbyist for a 
     foreign entity (as the terms `lobbyist' and `foreign entity' 
     are defined under section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
     1995)'' after ``an agent for a foreign principal''.
       (b) Amendments to Title 18, United States Code.--Section 
     219(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``or a lobbyist required to register under 
     the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 in connection with the 
     representation of a foreign entity, as defined in section 
     3(7) of that Act'' after ``an agent of a foreign principal 
     required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration 
     Act of 1938''; and
       (2) by striking out ``, as amended,''.
       (c) Amendment to Foreign Service Act of 1980.--Section 
     602(c) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4002(c)) 
     is amended by inserting ``or a lobbyist for a foreign entity 
     (as defined in section 3(7) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
     1995)'' after ``an agent of a foreign principal (as defined 
     by section 1(b) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 
     1938)''.

     SEC. 413. IDENTIFICATION OF CLIENTS AND COVERED OFFICIALS.

       (a) Oral Lobbying Contacts.--Any person or entity that 
     makes an oral lobbying contact with a covered legislative 
     branch official or a covered executive branch official shall, 
     on the request of the official at the time of the lobbying 
     contact--
       (1) state whether the person or entity is registered under 
     this Act and identify the client on whose behalf the lobbying 
     contact is made; and
       (2) state whether such client is a foreign entity and 
     identify any foreign entity required to be disclosed under 
     section 404(b)(4) that has a direct interest in the outcome 
     of the lobbying activity.
       (b) Written Lobbying Contacts.--Any person or entity 
     registered under this Act that makes a written lobbying 
     contact (including an electronic communication) with a 
     covered legislative branch official or a covered executive 
     branch official shall--
       (1) if the client on whose behalf the lobbying contact was 
     made is a foreign entity, identify such client, state that 
     the client is considered a foreign entity under this Act, and 
     state whether the person making the lobbying contact is 
     registered on behalf of that client under section 4; and
       (2) identify any other foreign entity identified pursuant 
     to section 404(b)(4) that has a direct interest in the 
     outcome of the lobbying activity.
       (c) Identification as Covered Official.--Upon request by a 
     person or entity making a lobbying contact, the individual 
     who is contacted or the office employing that individual 
     shall indicate whether or not the individual is a covered 
     legislative branch official or a covered executive branch 
     official.

     SEC. 414. ESTIMATES BASED ON TAX REPORTING SYSTEM.

       (a) Entities Covered by Section 6033(b) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986.--A registrant that is required to 
     report and does report lobbying expenditures pursuant to 
     section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may--
       (1) make a good faith estimate (by category of dollar 
     value) of applicable amounts that would be required to be 
     disclosed under such section for the appropriate semiannual 
     period to meet the requirements of sections 404(a)(3), 
     405(a)(2), and 405(b)(4); and
       (2) in lieu of using the definition of ``lobbying 
     activities'' in section 3(8) of this Act, consider as 
     lobbying activities only those activities that are 
     influencing legislation as defined in section 4911(d) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
       (b) Entities Covered by Section 162(e) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986.--A registrant that is subject to 
     section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may--
       (1) make a good faith estimate (by category of dollar 
     value) of applicable amounts that would not be deductible 
     pursuant to such section for the appropriate semiannual 
     period to meet the requirements of sections 404(a)(3), 
     405(a)(2), and 405(b)(4); and
       (2) in lieu of using the definition of ``lobbying 
     activities'' in section 403(7) of this Act, consider as 
     lobbying activities only those activities, the costs of which 
     are not deductible pursuant to section 162(e) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986.
       (c) Disclosure of Estimate.--Any registrant that elects to 
     make estimates required by this Act under the procedures 
     authorized by subsection (a) or (b) for reporting or 
     threshold purposes shall--
       (1) inform the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the 
     House of Representatives that the registrant has elected to 
     make its estimates under such procedures; and
       (2) make all such estimates, in a given calendar year, 
     under such procedures.
       (d) Study.--Not later than March 31, 1997, the Comptroller 
     General of the United States shall review reporting by 
     registrants under subsections (a) and (b) and report to the 
     Congress--
       (1) the differences between the definition of ``lobbying 
     activities'' in section 403(7) and the definitions of 
     ``lobbying expenditures'', ``influencing legislation'', and 
     related terms in sections 162(e) and 4911 of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986, as each are implemented by regulations;
       (2) the impact that any such differences may have on filing 
     and reporting under this Act pursuant to this subsection; and
       (3) any changes to this Act or to the appropriate sections 
     of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that the Comptroller 
     General may recommend to harmonize the definitions.

     SEC. 415. SEVERABILITY.

       If any provision of this title, or the application thereof, 
     is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this title 
     and the application of such provision to other persons and 
     circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

     SEC. 416. EFFECTIVE DATES.

       (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this 
     title and the amendments made by this title shall take 
     effect, and shall be effective with respect to calendar years 
     beginning on, January 1, 1996.
       (b) The repeals and amendments made under sections 409, 
     410, and 411 shall take effect as provided under subsection 
     (a), except that such repeals and amendments--
       (1) shall not affect any proceeding or suit commenced 
     before the effective date under subsection (a), and in all 
     such proceedings or suits, proceedings shall be had, appeals 
     taken, and judgments rendered in the same manner and with the 
     same effect as if this Act had not been enacted; and
       (2) shall not affect the requirements of Federal agencies 
     to compile, publish, and retain information filed or received 
     before the effective date of such repeals and amendments.
                   TITLE V--CONGRESSIONAL GIFT RULES

     SEC. 501. AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RULES.

       Clause 4 of rule XLIII of the Rules of the House of 
     Representatives is amended to read as follows:

       ``4. (a)(1) No Member, officer, or employee of the House of 
     Representatives shall knowingly accept a gift except as 
     provided in this rule.
       ``(2) A Member, officer, or employee may accept a gift 
     (other than cash or cash equivalent) which the Member, 
     officer, or employee reasonably and in good faith believes to 
     have a value of less than $50, and a cumulative value from 
     one source during a calendar year of less than $100. No gift 
     with a value below $10 shall count toward the $100 annual 
     limit. No formal recordkeeping is required by this paragraph, 
     but a Member, officer, or employee shall make a good faith 
     effort to comply with this paragraph.
       ``(b)(1) For the purpose of this rule, the term `gift' 
     means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, 
     hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary 
     value. The term includes gifts of services, training, 
     transportation, lodging, and meals, whether provided in kind, 
     by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement 
     after the expense has been incurred.
       ``(2)(A) A gift to a family member of a Member, officer, or 
     employee, or a gift to 

[[Page H 8560]]
     any other individual based on that individual's relationship with the 
     Member, officer, or employee, shall be considered a gift to 
     the Member, officer, or employee if it is given with the 
     knowledge and acquiescence of the Member, officer, or 
     employee and the Member, officer, or employee has reason to 
     believe the gift was given because of the official position 
     of the Member, officer, or employee.
       ``(B) If food or refreshment is provided at the same time 
     and place to both a Member, officer, or employee and the 
     spouse or dependent thereof, only the food or refreshment 
     provided to the Member, officer, or employee shall be treated 
     as a gift for purposes of this rule.
       ``(c) The restrictions in subparagraph (a) shall not apply 
     to the following:
       ``(1) Anything for which the Member, officer, or employee 
     pays the market value, or does not use and promptly returns 
     to the donor.
       ``(2) A contribution, as defined in the Federal Election 
     Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.) that is lawfully 
     made under that Act, or attendance at a fundraising event 
     sponsored by a political organization described in section 
     527(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
       ``(3) A gift from a relative as described in section 107(2) 
     of title I of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Public 
     Law 95-521).
       ``(4)(A) Anything provided by an individual on the basis of 
     a personal friendship unless the Member, officer, or employee 
     has reason to believe that, under the circumstances, the gift 
     was provided because of the official position of the Member, 
     officer, or employee and not because of the personal 
     friendship.
       ``(B) In determining whether a gift is provided on the 
     basis of personal friendship, the Member, officer, or 
     employee shall consider the circumstances under which the 
     gift was offered, such as:
       ``(i) The history of the relationship between the 
     individual giving the gift and the recipient of the gift, 
     including any previous exchange of gifts between such 
     individuals.
       ``(ii) Whether to the actual knowledge of the Member, 
     officer, or employee the individual who gave the gift 
     personally paid for the gift or sought a tax deduction or 
     business reimbursement for the gift.
       ``(iii) Whether to the actual knowledge of the Member, 
     officer, or employee the individual who gave the gift also at 
     the same time gave the same or similar gifts to other 
     Members, officers, or employees.
       ``(5) Except as provided in paragraph 3(c), a contribution 
     or other payment to a legal expense fund established for the 
     benefit of a Member, officer, or employee, that is otherwise 
     lawfully made, if the person making the contribution or 
     payment is identified for the Committee of Standards of 
     Official Conduct and complies with other disclosure 
     requirements established by such Committee.
       ``(6) Any gift from another Member, officer, or employee of 
     the Senate or the House of Representatives.
       ``(7) Food, refreshments, lodging, and other benefits--
       ``(A) resulting from the outside business or employment 
     activities (or other outside activities that are not 
     connected to the duties of the Member, officer, or employee 
     as an officeholder) of the Member, officer, or employee, or 
     the spouse of the Member, officer, or employee, if such 
     benefits have not been offered or enhanced because of the 
     official position of the Member, officer, or employee and are 
     customarily provided to others in similar circumstances;
       ``(B) customarily provided by a prospective employer in 
     connection with bona fide employment discussions; or
       ``(C) provided by a political organization described in 
     section 527(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in 
     connection with a fundraising or campaign event sponsored by 
     such an organization.
       ``(8) Pension and other benefits resulting from continued 
     participation in an employee welfare and benefits plan 
     maintained by a former employer.
       ``(9) Informational materials that are sent to the office 
     of the Member, officer, or employee in the form of books, 
     articles, periodicals, other written materials, audiotapes, 
     videotapes, or other forms of communication.
       ``(10) Awards or prizes which are given to competitors in 
     contests or events open to the public, including random 
     drawings.
       ``(11) Honorary degrees (and associated travel, food, 
     refreshments, and entertainment) and other bona fide, 
     nonmonetary awards presented in recognition of public service 
     (and associated food, refreshments, and entertainment 
     provided in the presentation of such degrees and awards).
       ``(12) Donations of products from the State that the Member 
     represents that are intended primarily for promotional 
     purposes, such as display or free distribution, and are of 
     minimal value to any individual recipient.
       ``(13) Training (including food and refreshments furnished 
     to all attendees as an integral part of the training) 
     provided to a Member, officer, or employee, if such training 
     is in the interest of the House of Representatives.
       ``(14) Bequests, inheritances, and other transfers at 
     death.
       ``(15) Any item, the receipt of which is authorized by the 
     Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, the Mutual Educational and 
     Cultural Exchange Act, or any other statute.
       ``(16) Anything which is paid for by the Federal 
     Government, by a State or local government, or secured by the 
     Government under a Government contract.
       ``(17) A gift of personal hospitality (as defined in 
     section 109(14) of the Ethics in Government Act) of an 
     individual other than a registered lobbyist or agent of a 
     foreign principal.
       ``(18) Free attendance at a widely attended event permitted 
     pursuant to subparagraph (d).
       ``(19) Opportunities and benefits which are--
       ``(A) available to the public or to a class consisting of 
     all Federal employees, whether or not restricted on the basis 
     of geographic consideration;
       ``(B) offered to members of a group or class in which 
     membership is unrelated to congressional employment;
       ``(C) offered to members of an organization, such as an 
     employees' association or congressional credit union, in 
     which membership is related to congressional employment and 
     similar opportunities are available to large segments of the 
     public through organizations of similar size;
       ``(D) offered to any group or class that is not defined in 
     a manner that specifically discriminates among Government 
     employees on the basis of branch of Government or type of 
     responsibility, or on a basis that favors those of higher 
     rank or rate of pay;
       ``(E) in the form of loans from banks and other financial 
     institutions on terms generally available to the public; or
       ``(F) in the form of reduced membership or other fees for 
     participation in organization activities offered to all 
     Government employees by professional organizations if the 
     only restrictions on membership relate to professional 
     qualifications.
       ``(20) A plaque, trophy, or other item that is 
     substantially commemorative in nature and which is intended 
     solely for presentation.
       ``(21) Anything for which, in an unusual case, a waiver is 
     granted by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
       ``(22) Food or refreshments of a nominal value offered 
     other than as a part of a meal.
       ``(23) An item of little intrinsic value such as a greeting 
     card, baseball cap, or a T-shirt.
       ``(d)(1) A Member, officer, or employee may accept an offer 
     of free attendance at a widely attended convention, 
     conference, symposium, forum, panel discussion, dinner, 
     viewing, reception, or similar event, provided by the sponsor 
     of the event, if--
       ``(A) the Member, officer, or employee participates in the 
     event as a speaker or a panel participant, by presenting 
     information related to Congress or matters before Congress, 
     or by performing a ceremonial function appropriate to the 
     Member's, officer's, or employee's official position; or
       ``(B) attendance at the event is appropriate to the 
     performance of the official duties or representative function 
     of the Member, officer, or employee.
       ``(2) A Member, officer, or employee who attends an event 
     described in clause (1) may accept a sponsor's unsolicited 
     offer of free attendance at the event for an accompanying 
     individual if others in attendance will generally be 
     similarly accompanied or if such attendance is appropriate to 
     assist in the representation of the House of Representatives.
       ``(3) A Member, officer, or employee, or the spouse or 
     dependent thereof, may accept a sponsor's unsolicited offer 
     of free attendance at a charity event, except that 
     reimbursement for transportation and lodging may not be 
     accepted in connection with an event that does not meet the 
     standards provided in paragraph 2.
       ``(4) For purposes of this paragraph, the term `free 
     attendance' may include waiver of all or part of a conference 
     or other fee, the provision of local transportation, or the 
     provision of food, refreshments, entertainment, and 
     instructional materials furnished to all attendees as an 
     integral part of the event. The term does not include 
     entertainment collateral to the event, nor does it include 
     food or refreshments taken other than in a group setting with 
     all or substantially all other attendees.
       ``(e) No Member, officer, or employee may accept a gift the 
     value of which exceeds $250 on the basis of the personal 
     friendship exception in subparagraph (c)(4) unless the 
     Committee on Standards of Official Conduct issues a written 
     determination that such exception applies. No determination 
     under this subparagraph is required for gifts given on the 
     basis of the family relationship exception.
       ``(f) When it is not practicable to return a tangible item 
     because it is perishable, the item may, at the discretion of 
     the recipient, be given to an appropriate charity or 
     destroyed.
       ``2. (a)(1) A reimbursement (including payment in kind) to 
     a Member, officer, or employee from an individual other than 
     a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal for 
     necessary transportation, lodging and related expenses for 
     travel to a meeting, speaking engagement, factfinding trip or 
     similar event in connection with the duties of the Member, 
     officer, or employee as an officeholder shall be deemed to be 
     a reimbursement to the House of Representatives and not a 
     gift prohibited by this rule, if the Member, officer, or 
     employee--
       ``(A) in the case of an employee, receives advance 
     authorization, from the Member or officer under whose direct 
     supervision the employee works, to accept reimbursement, and

[[Page H 8561]]

       ``(B) discloses the expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed 
     and the authorization to the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives within 30 days after the travel is completed.
       ``(2) For purposes of clause (1), events, the activities of 
     which are substantially recreational in nature, shall not be 
     considered to be in connection with the duties of a Member, 
     officer, or employee as an officeholder.
       ``(b) Each advance authorization to accept reimbursement 
     shall be signed by the Member or officer under whose direct 
     supervision the employee works and shall include--
       ``(1) the name of the employee;
       ``(2) the name of the person who will make the 
     reimbursement;
       ``(3) the time, place, and purpose of the travel; and
       ``(4) a determination that the travel is in connection with 
     the duties of the employee as an officeholder and would not 
     create the appearance that the employee is using public 
     office for private gain.
       ``(c) Each disclosure made under subparagraph (a)(1) of 
     expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed shall be signed by 
     the Member or officer (in the case of travel by that Member 
     or officer) or by the Member or officer under whose direct 
     supervision the employee works (in the case of travel by an 
     employee) and shall include--
       ``(1) a good faith estimate of total transportation 
     expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
       ``(2) a good faith estimate of total lodging expenses 
     reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
       ``(3) a good faith estimate of total meal expenses 
     reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
       ``(4) a good faith estimate of the total of other expenses 
     reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
       ``(5) a determination that all such expenses are necessary 
     transportation, lodging, and related expenses as defined in 
     this paragraph; and
       ``(6) in the case of a reimbursement to a Member or 
     officer, a determination that the travel was in connection 
     with the duties of the Member or officer as an officeholder 
     and would not create the appearance that the Member or 
     officer is using public office for private gain.
       ``(d) For the purposes of this paragraph, the term 
     `necessary transportation, lodging, and related expenses'--
       ``(1) includes reasonable expenses that are necessary for 
     travel for a period not exceeding 3 days exclusive of travel 
     time within the United States or 7 days exclusive of travel 
     time outside of the United States unless approved in advance 
     by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct;
       ``(2) is limited to reasonable expenditures for 
     transportation, lodging, conference fees and materials, and 
     food and refreshments, including reimbursement for necessary 
     transportation, whether or not such transportation occurs 
     within the periods described in clause (1);
       ``(3) does not include expenditures for recreational 
     activities, not roes it include entertainment other than that 
     provided to all attendees as an integral part of the event, 
     except for activities or entertainment otherwise permissible 
     under this rule; and
       ``(4) may include travel expenses incurred on behalf of 
     either the spouse or a child of the Member, officer, or 
     employee, subject to a determination signed by the Member or 
     officer (or in the case of an employee, the Member or officer 
     under whose direct supervision the employee works) that the 
     attendance of the spouse or child is appropriate to assist in 
     the representation of the House of Representatives.
       ``(e) The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall make 
     available to the public all advance authorizations and 
     disclosures of reimbursement filed pursuant to subparagraph 
     (a) as soon as possible after they are received.
       ``3. A gift prohibited by paragraph 1(a) includes the 
     following:
       ``(a) Anything provided by a registered lobbyist or an 
     agent of a foreign principal to an entity that is maintained 
     or controlled by a Member, officer, or employee.
       ``(b) A charitable contribution (as defined in section 
     170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) made by a 
     registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal on the 
     basis of a designation, recommendation, or other 
     specification of a Member, officer, or employee (not 
     including a mass mailing or other solicitation directed to a 
     broad category of persons or entities), other than a 
     charitable contribution permitted by paragraph 4.
       ``(c) A contribution or other payment by a registered 
     lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal to a legal 
     expense fund established for the benefit of a Member, 
     officer, or employee.
       ``(d) A financial contribution or expenditure made by a 
     registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal 
     relating to a conference, retreat, or similar event, 
     sponsored by or affiliated with an official congressional 
     organization, for or on behalf of Members, officers, or 
     employees.
       ``4. (a) A charitable contribution (as defined in section 
     170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) made by a 
     registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal in 
     lieu of an honorarium to a Member, officer, or employee shall 
     not be considered a gift under this rule if it is reported as 
     provided in subparagraph (b).
       ``(b) A Member, officer, or employee who designates or 
     recommends a contribution to a charitable organization in 
     lieu of honoraria described in subparagraph (a) shall report 
     within 30 days after such designation or recommendation to 
     the Clerk of the House of Representatives--
       ``(1) the name and address of the registered lobbyist who 
     is making the contribution in lieu of honoraria;
       ``(2) the date and amount of the contribution; and
       ``(3) the name and address of the charitable organization 
     designated or recommended by the Member.
     The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall make public 
     information received pursuant to this subparagraph as soon as 
     possible after it is received.
       ``5. For purposes of this rule--
       ``(a) the term `registered lobbyist' means a lobbyist 
     registered under the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act or 
     any successor statute; and
       ``(b) the term `agent of a foreign principal' means an 
     agent of a foreign principal registered under the Foreign 
     Agents Registration Act.
       ``6. All the provisions of this rule shall be interpreted 
     and enforced solely by the Committee on Standards of Official 
     Conduct. The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is 
     authorized to issue guidance on any matter contained in this 
     rule.''.

     SEC. 502. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by this title shall take effect, and 
     shall be effective with respect to calendar years beginning 
     on, January 1, 1996.

  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank both the chairman and ranking member of 
the Legislative Branch Subcommittee for their very hard work on this 
bill. I know their task has been very difficult; I only hope that the 
cuts made to the operations of the Congress will not, in the long-run, 
inhibit our ability to do the people's business.
  I include the following additional material for the Record.

                FLOOR PROCEDURE IN THE 104TH CONGRESS; COMPILED BY THE RULES COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       Process used for floor      Amendments in
        Bill No.                  Title            Resolution No.           consideration              order    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R. 1*................  Compliance.............  H. Res. 6         Closed......................           None.
H. Res. 6..............  Opening Day Rules        H. Res. 5         Closed; contained a closed             None.
                          Package.                                   rule on H.R. 1 within the                  
                                                                     closed rule.                               
H.R. 5*................  Unfunded Mandates......  H. Res. 38        Restrictive; Motion adopted             N/A.
                                                                     over Democratic objection                  
                                                                     in the Committee of the                    
                                                                     Whole to limit debate on                   
                                                                     section 4; Pre-printing                    
                                                                     gets preference.                           
H.J. Res. 2*...........  Balanced Budget........  H. Res. 44        Restrictive; only certain            2R; 4D.
                                                                     substitutes.                               
H. Res. 43.............  Committee Hearings       H. Res. 43 (OJ)   Restrictive; considered in              N/A.
                          Scheduling.                                House no amendments.                       
H.R. 2*................  Line Item Veto.........  H. Res. 55        Open; Pre-printing gets                 N/A.
                                                                     preference.                                
H.R. 665*..............  Victim Restitution Act   H. Res. 61        Open; Pre-printing gets                 N/A.
                          of 1995.                                   preference.                                
H.R. 666*..............  Exclusionary Rule        H. Res. 60        Open; Pre-printing gets                 N/A.
                          Reform Act of 1995.                        preference.                                
H.R. 667*..............  Violent Criminal         H. Res. 63        Restrictive; 10 hr. Time Cap            N/A.
                          Incarceration Act of                       on amendments.                             
                          1995.                                                                                 
H.R. 668*..............  The Criminal Alien       H. Res. 69        Open; Pre-printing gets                 N/A.
                          Deportation                                preference; Contains self-                 
                          Improvement Act.                           executing provision.                       
H.R. 728*..............  Local Government Law     H. Res. 79        Restrictive; 10 hr. Time Cap            N/A.
                          Enforcement Block                          on amendments; Pre-printing                
                          Grants.                                    gets preference.                           
H.R. 7*................  National Security        H. Res. 83        Restrictive; 10 hr. Time Cap            N/A.
                          Revitalization Act.                        on amendments; Pre-printing                
                                                                     gets preference.                           
H.R. 729*..............  Death Penalty/Habeas...  N/A               Restrictive; brought up                 N/A.
                                                                     under UC with a 6 hr. time                 
                                                                     cap on amendments.                         
S. 2...................  Senate Compliance......  N/A               Closed; Put on Suspension              None.
                                                                     Calendar over Democratic                   
                                                                     objection.                                 
H.R. 831...............  To Permanently Extend    H. Res. 88        Restrictive; makes in order              1D.
                          the Health Insurance                       only the Gibbons amendment;                
                          Deduction for the Self-                    Waives all points of order;                
                          Employed.                                  Contains self-executing                    
                                                                     provision.                                 
H.R. 830*..............  The Paperwork Reduction  H. Res. 91        Open........................            N/A.
                          Act.                                                                                  
H.R. 889...............  Emergency Supplemental/  H. Res. 92        Restrictive; makes in order              1D.
                          Rescinding Certain                         only the Obey substitute.                  
                          Budget Authority.                                                                     
H.R. 450*..............  Regulatory Moratorium..  H. Res. 93        Restrictive; 10 hr. Time Cap            N/A.
                                                                     on amendments; Pre-printing                
                                                                     gets preference.                           
H.R. 1022*.............  Risk Assessment........  H. Res. 96        Restrictive; 10 hr. Time Cap            N/A.
                                                                     on amendments.                             
H.R. 926*..............  Regulatory Flexibility.  H. Res. 100       Open........................            N/A.
H.R. 925*..............  Private Property         H. Res. 101       Restrictive; 12 hr. time cap             1D.
                          Protection Act.                            on amendments; Requires                    
                                                                     Members to pre-print their                 
                                                                     amendments in the Record                   
                                                                     prior to the bill's                        
                                                                     consideration for                          
                                                                     amendment, waives                          
                                                                     germaneness and budget act                 
                                                                     points of order as well as                 
                                                                     points of order concerning                 
                                                                     appropriating on a                         
                                                                     legislative bill against                   
                                                                     the committee substitute                   
                                                                     used as base text.                         
H.R. 1058*.............  Securities Litigation    H. Res. 105       Restrictive; 8 hr. time cap              1D.
                          Reform Act.                                on amendments; Pre-printing                
                                                                     gets preference; Makes in                  
                                                                     order the Wyden amendment                  
                                                                     and waives germaneness                     
                                                                     against it.                                
H.R. 988*..............  The Attorney             H. Res. 104       Restrictive; 7 hr. time cap             N/A.
                          Accountability Act of                      on amendments; Pre-printing                
                          1995.                                      gets preference.                           

[[Page H 8562]]
                                                                                                                
H.R. 956*..............  Product Liability and    H. Res. 109       Restrictive; makes in order          8D; 7R.
                          Legal Reform Act.                          only 15 germane amendments                 
                                                                     and denies 64 germane                      
                                                                     amendments from being                      
                                                                     considered.                                
H.R. 1158..............  Making Emergency         H. Res. 115       Restrictive; Combines                   N/A.
                          Supplemental                               emergency H.R. 1158 &                      
                          Appropriations and                         nonemergency 1159 and                      
                          Rescissions.                               strikes the abortion                       
                                                                     provision; makes in order                  
                                                                     only pre-printed amendments                
                                                                     that include offsets within                
                                                                     the same chapter (deeper                   
                                                                     cuts in programs already                   
                                                                     cut); waives points of                     
                                                                     order against three                        
                                                                     amendments; waives cl 2 of                 
                                                                     rule XXI against the bill,                 
                                                                     cl 2, XXI and cl 7 of rule                 
                                                                     XVI against the substitute;                
                                                                     waives cl 2(e) od rule XXI                 
                                                                     against the amendments in                  
                                                                     the Record; 10 hr time cap                 
                                                                     on amendments. 30 minutes                  
                                                                     debate on each amendment.                  
H.J. Res. 73*..........  Term Limits............  H. Res. 116       Restrictive; Makes in order           1D; 3R
                                                                     only 4 amendments                          
                                                                     considered under a ``Queen                 
                                                                     of the Hill'' procedure and                
                                                                     denies 21 germane                          
                                                                     amendments from being                      
                                                                     considered.                                
H.R. 4*................  Welfare Reform.........  H. Res. 119       Restrictive; Makes in order         5D; 26R.
                                                                     only 31 perfecting                         
                                                                     amendments and two                         
                                                                     substitutes; Denies 130                    
                                                                     germane amendments from                    
                                                                     being considered; The                      
                                                                     substitutes are to be                      
                                                                     considered under a ``Queen                 
                                                                     of the Hill'' procedure;                   
                                                                     All points of order are                    
                                                                     waived against the                         
                                                                     amendments.                                
H.R. 1271*.............  Family Privacy Act.....  H. Res. 125       Open........................            N/A.
H.R. 660*..............  Housing for Older        H. Res. 126       Open........................            N/A.
                          Persons Act.                                                                          
H.R. 1215*.............  The Contract With        H. Res. 129       Restrictive; Self Executes               1D.
                          America Tax Relief Act                     language that makes tax                    
                          of 1995.                                   cuts contingent on the                     
                                                                     adoption of a balanced                     
                                                                     budget plan and strikes                    
                                                                     section 3006. Makes in                     
                                                                     order only one substitute.                 
                                                                     Waives all points of order                 
                                                                     against the bill,                          
                                                                     substitute made in order as                
                                                                     original text and Gephardt                 
                                                                     substitute.                                
H.R. 483...............  Medicare Select          H. Res. 130       Restrictive; waives cl                   1D.
                          Extension.                                 2(1)(6) of rule XI against                 
                                                                     the bill; makes H.R. 1391                  
                                                                     in order as original text;                 
                                                                     makes in order only the                    
                                                                     Dingell substitute; allows                 
                                                                     Commerce Committee to file                 
                                                                     a report on the bill at any                
                                                                     time.                                      
H.R. 655...............  Hydrogen Future Act....  H. Res. 136       Open........................            N/A.
H.R. 1361..............  Coast Guard              H. Res. 139       Open; waives sections 302(f)            N/A.
                          Authorization.                             and 308(a) of the                          
                                                                     Congressional Budget Act                   
                                                                     against the bill's                         
                                                                     consideration and the                      
                                                                     committee substitute;                      
                                                                     waives cl 5(a) of rule XXI                 
                                                                     against the committee                      
                                                                     substitute.                                
H.R. 961...............  Clean Water Act........  H. Res. 140       Open; pre-printing gets                 N/A.
                                                                     preference; waives sections                
                                                                     302(f) and 602(b) of the                   
                                                                     Budget Act against the                     
                                                                     bill's consideration;                      
                                                                     waives cl 7 of rule XVI, cl                
                                                                     5(a) of rule XXI and                       
                                                                     section 302(f) of the                      
                                                                     Budget Act against the                     
                                                                     committee substitute. Makes                
                                                                     in order Shuster substitute                
                                                                     as first order of business.                
H.R. 535...............  Corning National Fish    H. Res. 144       Open........................            N/A.
                          Hatchery Conveyance                                                                   
                          Act.                                                                                  
H.R. 584...............  Conveyance of the        H. Res. 145       Open........................            N/A.
                          Fairport National Fish                                                                
                          Hatchery to the State                                                                 
                          of Iowa.                                                                              
H.R. 614...............  Conveyance of the New    H. Res. 146       Open........................            N/A.
                          London National Fish                                                                  
                          Hatchery Production                                                                   
                          Facility.                                                                             
H. Con. Res. 67........  Budget Resolution......  H. Res. 149       Restrictive; Makes in order          3D; 1R.
                                                                     4 substitutes under regular                
                                                                     order; Gephardt, Neumann/                  
                                                                     Solomon, Payne/Owens,                      
                                                                     President's Budget if                      
                                                                     printed in Record on 5/17/                 
                                                                     95; waives all points of                   
                                                                     order against substitutes                  
                                                                     and concurrent resolution;                 
                                                                     suspends application of                    
                                                                     Rule XLIX with respect to                  
                                                                     the resolution; self-                      
                                                                     executes Agriculture                       
                                                                     language.                                  
H.R. 1561..............  American Overseas        H. Res. 155       Restrictive; Requires                   N/A.
                          Interests Act of 1995.                     amendments to be printed in                
                                                                     the Record prior to their                  
                                                                     consideration; 10 hr. time                 
                                                                     cap; waives cl 2(1)(6) of                  
                                                                     rule XI against the bill's                 
                                                                     consideration; Also waives                 
                                                                     sections 302(f), 303(a),                   
                                                                     308(a) and 402(a) against                  
                                                                     the bill's consideration                   
                                                                     and the committee amendment                
                                                                     in order as original text;                 
                                                                     waives cl 5(a) of rule XXI                 
                                                                     against the amendment;                     
                                                                     amendment consideration is                 
                                                                     closed at 2:30 p.m. on May                 
                                                                     25, 1995. Self-executes                    
                                                                     provision which removes                    
                                                                     section 2210 from the bill.                
                                                                     This was done at the                       
                                                                     request of the Budget                      
                                                                     Committee.                                 
H.R. 1530..............  National Defense         H. Res. 164       Restrictive; Makes in order      36R; 18D; 2
                          Authorization Act FY                       only the amendments printed     Bipartisan.
                          1996.                                      in the report; waives all                  
                                                                     points of order against the                
                                                                     bill, substitute and                       
                                                                     amendments printed in the                  
                                                                     report. Gives the Chairman                 
                                                                     en bloc authority. Self-                   
                                                                     executes a provision which                 
                                                                     strikes section 807 of the                 
                                                                     bill; provides for an                      
                                                                     additional 30 min. of                      
                                                                     debate on Nunn-Lugar                       
                                                                     section; Allows Mr. Clinger                
                                                                     to offer a modification of                 
                                                                     his amendment with the                     
                                                                     concurrence of Ms. Collins.                
H.R. 1817..............  Military Construction    H. Res. 167       Open; waives cl. 2 and cl. 6            N/A.
                          Appropriations; FY                         of rule XXI against the                    
                          1996.                                      bill; 1 hr. general debate;                
                                                                     Uses House passed budget                   
                                                                     numbers as threshold for                   
                                                                     spending amounts pending                   
                                                                     passage of Budget.                         
H.R. 1854..............  Legislative Branch       H. Res. 169       Restrictive; Makes in order        5R; 4D; 2
                          Appropriations.                            only 11 amendments; waives      Bipartisan.
                                                                     sections 302(f) and 308(a)                 
                                                                     of the Budget Act against                  
                                                                     the bill and cl. 2 and cl.                 
                                                                     6 of rule XXI against the                  
                                                                     bill. All points of order                  
                                                                     are waived against the                     
                                                                     amendments.                                
H.R. 1868..............  Foreign Operations       H. Res. 170       Open; waives cl. 2, cl.                 N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            5(b), and cl. 6 of rule XXI                
                                                                     against the bill; makes in                 
                                                                     order the Gilman amendments                
                                                                     as first order of business;                
                                                                     waives all points of order                 
                                                                     against the amendments; if                 
                                                                     adopted they will be                       
                                                                     considered as original                     
                                                                     text; waives cl. 2 of rule                 
                                                                     XXI against the amendments                 
                                                                     printed in the report. Pre-                
                                                                     printing gets priority                     
                                                                     (Hall) (Menendez) (Goss)                   
                                                                     (Smith, NJ).                               
H.R. 1905..............  Energy & Water           H. Res. 171       Open; waives cl. 2 and cl. 6            N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            of rule XXI against the                    
                                                                     bill; makes in order the                   
                                                                     Shuster amendment as the                   
                                                                     first order of business;                   
                                                                     waives all points of order                 
                                                                     against the amendment; if                  
                                                                     adopted it will be                         
                                                                     considered as original                     
                                                                     text. Pre-printing gets                    
                                                                     priority.                                  
H.J. Res. 79...........  Constitutional           H. Res. 173       Closed; provides one hour of            N/A.
                          Amendment to Permit                        general debate and one                     
                          Congress and States to                     motion to recommit with or                 
                          Prohibit the Physical                      without instructions; if                   
                          Desecration of the                         there are instructions, the                
                          American Flag.                             MO is debatable for 1 hr.                  
H.R. 1944..............  Recissions Bill........  H. Res. 175       Restrictive; Provides for               N/A.
                                                                     consideration of the bill                  
                                                                     in the House; Permits the                  
                                                                     Chairman of the                            
                                                                     Appropriations Committee to                
                                                                     offer one amendment which                  
                                                                     is unamendable; waives all                 
                                                                     points of order against the                
                                                                     amendment.                                 
H.R. 1868 (2nd rule)...  Foreign Operations       H. Res. 177       Restrictive; Provides for               N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            further consideration of                   
                                                                     the bill; makes in order                   
                                                                     only the four amendments                   
                                                                     printed in the rules report                
                                                                     (20 min each). Waives all                  
                                                                     points of order against the                
                                                                     amendments; Prohibits                      
                                                                     intervening motions in the                 
                                                                     Committee of the Whole;                    
                                                                     Provides for an automatic                  
                                                                     rise and report following                  
                                                                     the disposition of the                     
                                                                     amendments.                                
H.R. 70................  Exports of Alaskan       H. Res. 197       Open; Makes in order the                N/A.
                          North Slope Oil.                           Resources Committee                        
                                                                     amendment in the nature of                 
                                                                     a substitute as original                   
                                                                     text; Pre-printing gets                    
                                                                     priority; Provides a Senate                
                                                                     hook-up with S. 395.                       
H.R. 2076..............  Commerce, Justice        H. Res. 198       Open; waives cl. 2 and cl. 6            N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            of rule XXI against                        
                                                                     provisions in the bill; Pre-               
                                                                     printing gets priority;                    
                                                                     provides the bill be read                  
                                                                     by title..                                 
H.R. 2099..............  VA/HUD Appropriations..  H. Res. 201       Open; waives cl. 2 and cl. 6            N/A.
                                                                     of rule XXI against                        
                                                                     provisions in the bill;                    
                                                                     Provides that the amendment                
                                                                     in part 1 of the report is                 
                                                                     the first business, if                     
                                                                     adopted it will be                         
                                                                     considered as base text (30                
                                                                     min); waives all points of                 
                                                                     order against the Klug and                 
                                                                     Davis amendments; Pre-                     
                                                                     printing gets priority;                    
                                                                     Provides that the bill be                  
                                                                     read by title.                             
S. 21..................  Termination of U.S.      H. Res. 204       Restrictive; 3 hours of                  ID.
                          Arms Embargo on Bosnia.                    general debate; Makes in                   
                                                                     order an amendment to be                   
                                                                     offered by the Minority                    
                                                                     Leader or a designee (1                    
                                                                     hr); If motion to recommit                 
                                                                     has instructions it can                    
                                                                     only be offered by the                     
                                                                     Minority Leader or a                       
                                                                     designee.                                  
H.R. 2126..............  Defense Appropriations.  H. Res. 205       Open; waives cl. 2(l)(6) of             N/A.
                                                                     rule XI and section 306 of                 
                                                                     the Congressional Budget                   
                                                                     Act against consideration                  
                                                                     of the bill; waives cl. 2                  
                                                                     and cl. 6 of rule XXI                      
                                                                     against provisions in the                  
                                                                     bill; self-executes a                      
                                                                     strike of sections 8021 and                
                                                                     8024 of the bill as                        
                                                                     requested by the Budget                    
                                                                     Committee; Pre-printing                    
                                                                     gets priority; Provides the                
                                                                     bill be read by title.                     
H.R. 1555..............  Communications Act of    H. Res. 207       Restrictive; waives sec.         2R/3D/3 Bi-
                          1995.                                      302(f) of the Budget Act          partisan.
                                                                     against consideration of                   
                                                                     the bill; Makes in order                   
                                                                     the Commerce Committee                     
                                                                     amendment as original text                 
                                                                     and waives sec. 302(f) of                  
                                                                     the Budget Act and cl. 5(a)                
                                                                     of rule XXI against the                    
                                                                     amendment; Makes in order                  
                                                                     the Bliely amendment (30                   
                                                                     min) as the first order of                 
                                                                     business, if adopted it                    
                                                                     will be original text;                     
                                                                     makes in order only the                    
                                                                     amendments printed in the                  
                                                                     report and waives all                      
                                                                     points of order against the                
                                                                     amendments; provides a                     
                                                                     Senate hook-up with S. 652.                
H.R. 1977 *Rule          Interior Appropriations  H. Res. 185       Open; waives sections 302(f)            N/A.
 Defeated*.                                                          and 308(a) of the Budget                   
                                                                     Act and cl 2 and cl 6 of                   
                                                                     rule XXI; provides that the                
                                                                     bill be read by title;                     
                                                                     waives all points of order                 
                                                                     against the Tauzin                         
                                                                     amendment; self-executes                   
                                                                     Budget Committee amendment;                
                                                                     waives cl 2(e) of rule XXI                 
                                                                     against amendments to the                  
                                                                     bill; Pre-printing gets                    
                                                                     priority.                                  
H.R. 1977..............  Interior Appropriations  H.Res. 187        Open; waives sections                   N/A.
                                                                     302(f), 306 and 308(a) of                  
                                                                     the Budget Act; waives                     
                                                                     clauses 2 and 6 of rule XXI                
                                                                     against provisions in the                  
                                                                     bill; waives all points of                 
                                                                     order against the Tauzin                   
                                                                     amendment; provides that                   
                                                                     the bill be read by title;                 
                                                                     self-executes Budget                       
                                                                     Committee amendment and                    
                                                                     makes NEA funding subject                  
                                                                     to House passed                            
                                                                     authorization; waives cl                   
                                                                     2(e) of rule XXI against                   
                                                                     the amendments to the bill;                
                                                                     Pre-printing gets priority.                
H.R. 1976..............  Agriculture              H. Res. 188       Open; waives clauses 2 and 6            N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            of rule XXI against                        
                                                                     provisions in the bill;                    
                                                                     provides that the bill be                  
                                                                     read by title; Makes Skeen                 
                                                                     amendment first order of                   
                                                                     business, if adopted the                   
                                                                     amendment will be                          
                                                                     considered as base text (10                
                                                                     min.); Pre-printing gets                   
                                                                     priority.                                  
H.R. 1977 (3rd rule)...  Interior Appropriations  H. Res. 189       Restrictive; provides for               N/A.
                                                                     the further consideration                  
                                                                     of the bill; allows only                   
                                                                     amendments pre-printed                     
                                                                     before July 14th to be                     
                                                                     considered; limits motions                 
                                                                     to rise.                                   
H.R. 2020..............  Treasury Postal          H. Res. 190       Open; waives cl. 2 and cl. 6            N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            of rule XXI against                        
                                                                     provisions in the bill;                    
                                                                     provides the bill be read                  
                                                                     by title; Pre-printing gets                
                                                                     priority.                                  

[[Page H 8563]]
                                                                                                                
H.J. Res. 96...........  Disapproving MFN for     H. Res. 193       Restrictive; provides for               N/A.
                          China.                                     consideration in the House                 
                                                                     of H.R. 2058 (90 min.) And                 
                                                                     H.J. Res. 96 (1 hr). Waives                
                                                                     certain provisions of the                  
                                                                     Trade Act.                                 
H.R. 2002..............  Transportation           H. Res. 194       Open; waives cl. 3 0f rule              N/A.
                          Appropriations.                            XIII and section 401 (a) of                
                                                                     the CBA against                            
                                                                     consideration of the bill;                 
                                                                     waives cl. 6 and cl. 2 of                  
                                                                     rule XXI against provisions                
                                                                     in the bill; Makes in order                
                                                                     the Clinger/Solomon                        
                                                                     amendment waives all points                
                                                                     of order against the                       
                                                                     amendment (Line Item Veto);                
                                                                     provides the bill be read                  
                                                                     by title; Pre-printing gets                
                                                                     priority..                                 
                                                                           *RULE AMENDED*                       
H.R. 2127..............  Labor/HHS                H. Res. 208       Open; Provides that the       ..............
                          Appropriations Act.                        first order of business                    
                                                                     will be the managers                       
                                                                     amendments (10 min), if                    
                                                                     adopted they will be                       
                                                                     considered as base text;                   
                                                                     waives cl. 2 and cl. 6 of                  
                                                                     rule XXI against provisions                
                                                                     in the bill; waives all                    
                                                                     points of order against                    
                                                                     certain amendments printed                 
                                                                     in the report; Pre-printing                
                                                                     gets priority; Provides the                
                                                                     bill be read by title.                     
* Contract Bills, 67% restrictive; 33% open. ** All legislation, 58% restrictive; 42% open. *** Restrictive     
  rules are those which limit the number of amendments which can be offered, and include so called modified open
  and modified closed rules as well as completely closed rules and rules providing for consideration in the     
  House as opposed to the Committee of the Whole. This definition of restrictive rule is taken from the         
  Republican chart of resolutions reported from the Rules Committee in the 103rd Congress. **** Not included in 
  this chart are three bills which should have been placed on the Suspension Calendar. H.R. 101, H.R. 400, H.R. 
  440.                                                                                                          


  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], chairman of 
the Committee on Rules.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Miami, FL for 
yielding me this time. Ordinarily I would not take the time of this 
House to speak on a rather routine rule that simply allows us to 
consider a conference report.
  However, I feel compelled to do so because the minority is trying to 
convert this rule debate into something that it is not, should not be, 
and cannot be under the rules of this House.
  What the minority is proposing is that we defeat the previous 
question so that we can consider a nongermane substitute rule.
  It is just that simple, it is just that ridiculous, it is just that 
outrageous, and it is just that futile.
  The rule before us simply waives points of order against the 
conference report on the legislative branch appropriations bill.
  The rule the minority Democrats would like to offer if they defeat 
the previous question would do much more than that. It would deem the 
conference report to be rejected and would then make it in order to 
take the House-passed bill from the Speaker's table with Senate 
amendments thereto, and substitute the conference language with further 
amendments--one of which is completely nongermane to that conference 
language.
  But even if the additional language were germane to the conference 
report, the substitute rule itself is non-germane to the reported rule 
because it goes beyond waiving points of order on the conference 
report--it attempts to provide for the consideration of another matter 
by another procedure.
  In other words, even if the minority were to succeed in defeating the 
previous question, there substitute rule would be ruled out of order on 
a germaneness point or order.
  It is not germane to a rule waiving points of order to provide for 
the consideration of another matter using another procedure.
  And here I cite Cannon's Precedents, volume 8, section 2956; Hinds' 
Precedents, volume 5, sections 5834-36; and Deschler-Brown's 
Precedents, volume 10, chapter 28, section 17.3, 17.4, and 17.5.
  The precedents are clear on this. The minority knows this is the 
case. They tried this same ploy back on March 30th of this year on H.R. 
831, the bill providing a health insurance tax deduction for the self-
employed.
  We got an advisory reading from the Parliamentarians at that time, 
just as we have on this occasion. That reading is that this is a 
nongermane substitute rule--plain and simple.
  And yet the minority Democrats still insist on going through these 
meaningless procedural hoops that will get them absolutely nowhere. 
This is not just an exercise in futility. It is a political sham, a 
partisan charade, and a hollow gesture--all signifying nothing.
  Moreover, by pursuing a procedural strategy that is clearly in 
violation of House rules and therefore cannot succeed under any 
circumstances, the minority Democrats are engaging in a cynical ploy by 
pretending to do something they know they cannot do.
  Mr. Speaker, it is high time that we blew that whistle on such 
tactics as knowingly and willfully attempting to mislead the American 
people.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the proposed substitute rule the minority 
would like to offer is nongermane on two counts. First, it attempts to 
make in order a nongermane procedure; and second, it attempts to make 
in order a nongermane amendment under that nongermane procedure.
  Being knowingly guilty on one count is shameful; being knowingly 
guilty on two counts is downright sham-ful and deserves to be punished 
by the overwhelming adoption of the previous question on this rule.
  I just want to commend the chairman and the subcommittee chairman of 
the Committee on Appropriations for bringing this bill to the floor 
because it does set the example for this Congress with all the other 
agencies, bureaus, departments of the Federal Government that are going 
to have to tighten their belt. We are doing it. With our help we expect 
the rest of the agencies to live up to the same thing so we can deal 
with the most important problem facing this Nation, and that is the 
terrible deficit that is literally turning this Nation into a bankrupt 
debtor nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the previous question and the rule.

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, some people viewing this proceeding, Members listening 
in the Chamber, certainly are aware that the United We Stand 
organization had a meeting during the break in my hometown of Dallas, 
TX. I went to that meeting and I had to regretfully tell the members of 
that organization that the majority leadership in the House of 
Representatives was stonewalling on the lobby reform issue, would not 
let us bring it up for a vote. I regretted that I had to communicate 
that to them.
  We tried to offer this on the first day of the session, and we were 
prevented from offering this in January. I tried to offer this in the 
Committee on Rules, waiving points of order, so that it clearly would 
have been in order, and I was voted down on a strict partisan vote in 
the Committee on Rules.
  Mr. Speaker, my only point is that the majority leadership in the 
House does not want this issue to come up, will not permit the lobbying 
gift ban to come up, and it is very unfortunate and I regretted that I 
had to inform the United We Stand organization of that.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Packard], the distinguished subcommittee chairman.
  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Florida 
for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I will take time during the debate on the conference 
report itself to explain the bill, so I do not intend to do that at 
this time. I simply want to respond to the effort that is being made to 
put the gift ban issue onto this conference report.
  Mr. Speaker, the gift ban issue is a very serious issue. It certainly 
demands and deserves a great deal of debate. To put anything of this 
consequence, which consists of 51 pages of legislation into the 
confines of a very limited debate during this conference report would 
be an absolute mistake. It ought to stand on its own; it ought to be 
debated on its own. It certainly should not be put on as a rider to a 
conference report that has 1 hour of debate on the rule and 1 hour of 
debate on the report itself. It is an issue of such great consequence 
that it ought to 

[[Page H 8564]]
have much more than that. So I would strongly urge the Members to not 
vote to allow this to go onto this conference report without the 
opportunity to have extensive debate and extensive review.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield 3 
minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio], the ranking 
member of this subcommittee.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from 
Texas for yielding me this time and indicate my congratulations to the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Packard], who brings this conference 
report to the floor, for the fine job that he has done in general 
during his first year as chairman of this subcommittee. But I regret 
that I have to stand in opposition to the previous question, in hopes 
that this body will take the opportunity when it deals with the budget 
of the legislative branch to deal with something that we have far too 
long neglected, certainly in this Congress, and frankly, in prior 
Congresses, to deal with, and that is the need to adopt strong lobby 
reform and gift ban legislation.
  The House twice approved strong lobby reform and gift reform in the 
103d Congress by 3-to-1 bipartisan majorities. The Republicans sadly 
filibustered it in the Senate at the end of the last session of 
Congress in order to deprive the President and the Democratic majority 
of having a political victory on something that had been worked out in 
great detail.
  Regrettably, as the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Frost] has already 
indicated, despite the effort to speak to the Perot movement in this 
country, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey] and the Speaker have 
stonewalled lobbying and gift reform for the 7 months we have been 
here. There was no willingness to deal with it during the reforms that 
were engaged in, far less significant reforms, on the first day of this 
session. And now, despite our efforts to speak to this group of people 
in our society, we continue to avoid dealing with the responsibility of 
having to reform the way we go about dealing with lobbyists, the way we 
go about dealing in our interrelationships with those who would lobby 
us or give us gifts.
  Mr. Speaker, the Senate has passed lobby reform and a gift ban 
unanimously, something I never thought could possibly occur. The House 
should now join the executive branch and the Senate and do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, the issues are well known. This conference report 
provides an excellent opportunity to deal legislatively with both of 
these issues in an expeditious fashion.
  Lobby provisions that are included in this motion are identical to 
what the Senate has done, and that is appropriate. We need a commonly 
understood statute that would affect the enormous loopholes that have 
existed in the 1946 Lobbying Act that have permitted a situation in 
which fewer than 4,000 of the estimated 13,500 known Washington 
lobbyists are registered with this Congress. We need to close that 
loophole. We need to make sure, on the other hand, that the unpaid 
grassroots activities are completely exempt from this new requirement, 
and so those who opposed this bill last year because of opposition from 
the so-called Christian coalition should be comfortable to understand 
that advocacy by churches and religious groups are exempted in this 
bill that the Senate has adopted.
  The gift restrictions are identical to the Senate-passed provisions 
and mirror restrictions that now apply to Members of the executive 
branch. Any gift over $10 counts toward a $100 annual limit per Member, 
or per staff, per lobbyists. We ought to have the same provisions apply 
to us that now apply to the Senate. It is appropriate we deal with it 
now so it can be effective in the next year.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the kind words that the chairman of the 
Legislative Appropriations Subcommittee, Ron Packard, spoke at Rules 
Committee--that the reductions in this conference report build on the 
progress started under my chairmanship.
  The conference report improves the House bill in several ways.
  But the thoughtful treatment of many issues in this conference 
report, and the successful defense of the House position at conference 
on several important items, unfortunately emphasizes the two major 
issues where the conference has fallen far short:
  General Accounting Office--the conference chose the lower Senate 
number, $374 million, nearly $20 million less than the House--more than 
a 15-percent cut below last year.
  Office of Technology Assessment--despite two strong votes in the 
House and a near-majority in the Senate, the conference gave in to the 
Senate in mandating a close-down of OTA.
  Accordingly, I reluctantly oppose the conference report.
  The shut-down of OTA is particularly thoughtless. Restoring OTA did 
not need to come at the expense of GAO or the Library of Congress, who 
are struggling with flat budgets or budget cuts.
  There are different ways to accomplish it:
  An across-the-board cut--the Congressional Budget Office says less 
than a .03 percent--three one-hundredths of a percent--would be 
required to provide another $6.5 million for OTA.
  Use existing budget authority. The bill is $114 million below the 
House 602b allocation and $20 million below in outlays--there is plenty 
of room to provide these funds.
  In fact, there was plenty of room to provide funds and stay close to 
the $200 million in cuts that seem to be the goal of the Republicans.
  But it is clear that the Republican fight to close OTA has been a 
symbolic fight.
  It is clear this has nothing to do with budget cuts. The public is 
unlikely to be more impressed that we cut $205 million instead of $200 
million.
  At conference, Chairman Packard and Chairman Livingston opposed $6.5 
million to keep OTA alive--yet pleaded vigorously for $7 million to 
renovate the Botanic Garden.
  So this is a symbolic victory for the Republicans--but it is a 
victory that will be very expensive in the long run.
  Policy issues across the spectrum are increasingly complex and 
technical.
  OTA helps us sort out the facts from the fiction.
  The need won't go away in the future--but we will be ill-equipped to 
deal with it.
  The issues in the last few days before we adjourned for the August 
recess--environmental risk assessment and telecommunications--are just 
two examples of complicated policy issues that confront Congress each 
year.
  I have examples of OTA reports issued in just the past few days:
  Information Security and Privacy in Network
   Environments--this was produced as a followon report for the Senate 
Committee on Governmental Affairs on the heels of a 1994 report, and it 
was used to prepare for hearings and legislation in this Congress.

  This report points out the necessity of a standing agency. Some 
opponents have said we can contract for such reports, but where do we 
get the followup assistance if we paid a private contractor to do the 
first report?
  Electronic Surveillance in a Digital Age--this is a background paper 
requested by our colleague, Mike Oxley, last September when he was 
still a member of the minority.
  But the Technology Board thought Mr. Oxley had a great idea--to 
consider the technical aspects of implementing the Communications 
Assistance for Law Enforcement Act--so the background paper was 
authorized.
  This report is perhaps the best indicator of the bipartisan nature of 
OTA and the fair-handed manner that the Technology Board operates.
  International Partnerships in Large Science Projects--the budget 
implications of international collaboration in research and science 
projects are huge.
  When does international collaboration make sense? When is it not in 
our national interest?
  Research into such sweeping questions is what OTA does best--neither 
CRS or GAO is prepared to pick up analyses of such scope.
  In short, I find it particularly ironic that the Speaker has termed 
this the cyber-Congress--yet has instructed his whips to destroy OTA.
  Amo Houghton has made a convincing case. He speaks with the best 
outside-the-beltway experience of any Member.
  The House agreed with Amo, and spoke strongly in two votes, but the 
conferees did not insist on House position.
  There were 46 votes in the Senate to sustain OTA including eight 
Republicans.
  We believe there were other OTA supporters who were concerned about 
offsets from Library and GAO.
  Since this ill-considered action by the conference, the outpouring of 
editorial comment has been astounding:
  The Washington Post--``Congress should think this one over again. 
Thrift in Government operations holds a high priority in today's 
politics. But the information and insights provided by OTA's studies 
are important ingredients of wise legislating, and worth far more than 
the few millions needed to keep OTA alive.''
  The Economist--``What do you do with an institution that offers you 
impartial technical advice? If you are America's Congress, you close it 
down.''

[[Page H 8565]]

  The Christian Science Monitor--``It would be a costly mistake.''
  The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette--``Through a comedy of errors, oversight 
and political machismo, Congress has chosen ignorance, and ended the 
23-year history of its best and smallest agency.''
  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune--``The majority acts as though it wants 
to be a 20th century Know Nothing Party.''
  The International Association for Technology Assessment and 
Forecasting Institutions--``It would be a serious loss to the world 
community if OTA should be terminated. We see OTA as a flagship for all 
countries interested in adapting wisely to the ever increasing rate of 
technological change.''
  To summarize: OTA is a bipartisan organization--overseen by 
bipartisan House-Senate Technology Board.
  OTA goes outside-the-beltway--5000 specialists from business, 
industry, and academia have contributed to its reports and policy 
recommendations.
  OTA is a lean organization--since 1993, OTA voluntarily has reduced 
its middle and senior management by almost 40 percent. The funds we are 
seeking would represent a 40 percent cut below last year.
  But the bottom line--OTA saves taxpayer dollars.
  In looking at the Defense appropriations bill we'll take up soon, I'm 
struck by what Curt Weldon and John Spratt said in a ``Dear Colleague'' 
about OTA--``The type of work they perform is just not available from 
other congressional agencies.''
  It is imperative that Congress retain an independent analytical 
function, but that function is missing from this conference report.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Goss], my distinguished colleague on the Committee on 
Rules.
  (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida for 
yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the first of the appropriations bills to make it 
through the conference process, and I wish to commend the bill's 
managers, the gentleman from California [Mr. Packard], as well as the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], the chairman of the full 
committee who is here, for making sure that the legislative branch 
leads the way in the belt tightening that we know is going to be done.
  This conference report, which obviously funds the conference, comes 
in at $200 million below the actual amount spent for the current fiscal 
year. That is a real cut. That is real savings and one we can all be 
proud of, I think, in these tight budgetary times.
  Mr. Speaker, the issue has been raised today that somehow the 
conferees of this spending bill failed because they did not include 
provisions reforming the gift rule for Members of this House. Well, the 
first point here is that reform of the gift rule, although it is a 
matter of great importance and very significant interest to many 
people, is not within the scope of the legislative branch funding bill. 
It is an apples and oranges problem. No matter how big an apple gift 
reform is, it just cannot become an orange because somebody wants to 
declare it so. It would be a little bit like Cal Ripken showing up at 
Fenway Park tonight. Wrong place. So from a procedural point of view, 
raising this issue as part of today's debate I think is way off the 
mark.
  Mr. Speaker, after the substance of reforming the gift rules, I do 
share the interests of many of our colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle of reviewing our gift rules and for the action recently taken in 
the other body reforming our House rules. I would point out I believe 
tomorrow there are going to be hearings in the Committee on the 
Judiciary; our colleague, the gentleman from Florida, Charles Canady, I 
believe is chairing a subcommittee hearing on the bill of the gentleman 
from Connecticut, Mr. Shays, which actually was the forerunner of all 
of these, which is what got it started, and I believe that we are 
proceeding apace. I understand the Speaker has made a public statement 
today committing that we will take this up in due course. In my office 
we have a strict policy.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, in 
due course?
  Mr. GOSS. I think due course is coming a lot
   sooner than you think.

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Something like deliberate speed?
  Mr. GOSS. Deliberate speed means different things of course on 
different sides of the aisle, but I think at this point we have a 
promise to go by early next year on this, and we are going to start the 
hearings tomorrow.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Would this be effective in the next calendar 
year?
  Mr. GOSS. I do not know what the effective date is. I think it 
remains to be seen, but I think it is very clear that we can start the 
hearings tomorrow.
  Along those lines, I have to point out that others have offered all 
kinds of bills. I have a lobbyist-paid travel bill that is in. It has a 
handful of Members' bipartisan support. Unfortunately, some of the 
colleagues I hear discussing this issue today are not on that bill. I 
hope they will take a good long look at it. I think efforts are 
underway to tighten the disclosure requirements to bring sunshine and 
accountability into our process.
  Certainly as Members know, these principles sound easy, but they are 
not as easy when you start applying them, because you have to define 
what a gift is. If somebody gives you a memento, it is hard to make 
that distinction occasionally. I think most Members agree that we have 
to be wise and judicious in what we do, and I think it is very clear 
that both the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the 
Committee on Rules, both of which I am on, are interested in this along 
with the Committee on the Judiciary.
  It has a terrific amount of interest, it is underway, it is going 
forward. To somehow say that we are off on the wrong track here because 
the appropriations process, which we all know is on a very tight 
timetable which needs to go forward, to suddenly now throw a monkey 
wrench on that process because it does not have what is clearly a 
nongermane, inappropriate, out of scope issue in it, does not do us a 
service here at all. We need to get on with this rule, we need to get 
on with the conference, let things happen, and we need to take up the 
gift reform and the lobby reform and campaign reform as we have 
promised we would do in the right season when their time comes, and 
that season apparently starts tomorrow.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, last night in Fort Worth, TX, the local United We Stand 
organization had another meeting, and once again I informed them that I 
was going to attempt to bring this up today and once again the 
Republican leadership would steamroll this issue and not permit it to 
be brought up.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. 
Bryant].
  (Mr. BRYANT of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, nothing could be simpler in the 
legislative business of this House than what we are doing today. It is 
a simple question for Members. Do you think that we should be able to 
continue to play golf for free, play tennis for free, go skiing for 
free, fly around the country on these recreational outings that are 
thinly disguised vacations, or do you think we ought to impose the same 
limits on this House that the U.S. Senate imposed on itself 4 weeks 
ago?
  It is that simple. We ask you to vote against the previous question 
so that the amended rule of the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Frost] may 
come forward so that we can simply offer the same provisions which the 
Senate has applied to itself as applicable to the House. That is all 
there is to it. All of this gobbledegook about procedures and all the 
tough talk about Deschler's Rules and so forth, all of it is 
meaningless. It is a very simple question.
  There are those who believe Members of the House of Representatives 
ought to be able to play golf for free, who do not want to pay for 
their own golf or their own ski trips or their own tennis. They think 
the lobbyists ought to pay for it, and there are those who think it 
ought not to be allowed, that it ought to stop, that it is an 
embarrassment to the institution. There are those of us who have worked 
for 2\1/2\ years to pass legislation to stop this outrage, and there 
are those who spent 2\1/2\ years trying to prevent that legislation 
from passing. We have heard from some of those this afternoon just a 
few moments ago. They jump up and holler regular order. They are ready 
to fight for their right to have free golf and free tennis.

[[Page H 8566]]

  Mr. Speaker, I would just say that I wish we could get the same 
interest for some other issues as we seem to get for protecting free 
golf for Members of the House of Representatives. All of this would 
have the same rules that the Senate passed which, by the way, are quite 
moderate; they do not go as far as I would like to go. We want those 
rules applied to the House of Representatives. We do not have to wait 
for January, or more hearings; we can do it in the next 1\1/2\ hours. 
That is all we are asking for. We ask you to vote down the previous 
question so that we can offer this amendment to the legislative 
appropriation bill.
  What are we doing? We are simply saying that there is a limit of $50 
on all gifts, meals and entertainment to Members of the House of 
Representatives. Fifty bucks is probably too much. I do not think most 
folks watching this debate think we even ought to get 50 bucks. But 
that limit is on there, and for those Members who want to keep on 
accepting it, they can keep on accepting it. But for goodness sakes, 
the same rules ought to apply to the House of Representatives.
  We are saying that there is a $100 limit from a single source. Pay 
for your own meals and golf and ski trips, but let the rest of us 
impose this rule upon the House so that we can regain the confidence of 
the American people and this institution.
  I would point out to you that the bitterest attacks on this 
institution have come from some of the same people who stand up here 
every time we have this debate and defend the status quo. And where 
does the status quo get us? it just gets us greater and greater in debt 
to the American people with regard to credibility.
  Why do we not go ahead and do this? Two-and-a-half years ago we 
embarked on an effort to do it. This House passed it two times by 
overwhelming margins. It would be law today except for a filibuster in 
the Senate that killed it. Why not get it done right now, impose 
reasonable restraints on the behavior of Members of the House with 
regard to gifts from lobbyists and be done with it. Why not?
  Nobody wants to rise and answer that question. The defense over here 
today will be all over the board. Now we hear there is going to be more 
hearings. We had hearings on this 3 months ago. We were told there 
would be a markup in due course, very soon, do not worry about it. Here 
we are, September, 3 months before the end of the year, no markup. All 
we have had is an announcement that as a result of what we are trying 
to do here today, my goodness, there will be another hearing tomorrow.
                              {time}  1630

  Well, let us stop beating around the bush and putting the American 
people off and stop playing games. Lobbyists should not be able to buy 
meals and so forth for Members of the House of Representatives. It is 
as simple as that. There is not a single person in this House who has 
served here or who has served in State and local government who has not 
behaved in the same fashion we are trying to prohibit today.
  Mr. Speaker, I do not hold myself out as a paragon of virtue either, 
but it is clear some years ago it was necessary to make this change. We 
began trying to make the change, and I would encourage the Members of 
the House to vote down the previous question and given us an 
opportunity to amend this law to pass the same rules to apply to the 
House as apply to the Senate and be done with this issue once and for 
all, and say if you are going to play golf, gentlemen, pay for it 
yourself. If you are going to go on a ski trip, pay for it yourself. If 
you are going to go out and have a big fancy meal, pay for it yourself. 
That is all we are saying today. Vote down the question.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress who has never 
played golf nor has any intention to, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton].
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that my 
colleagues appear to be so sanctimonious and self-righteous about 
somebody going out and having a hamburger or dinner with somebody 
saying that is buying influence when the same Members that are making 
these statements and trying to make the American people feel like we 
are doing something wrong by playing golf with somebody or tennis with 
somebody or having dinner with somebody are accepting thousands of 
dollars in campaign contributions.
  The gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bryant], according to the information 
on his FEC report, got 52, count them, 52 $5,000 contributions from 
PAC's. I would not accuse him of wrongdoing, but if there is any 
influence peddling, if the appearance of influence peddling is 
something we are talking about, I would think 52 $5,000 contributions 
would have more of an impact on the gentleman from Texas, [Mr. Bryant], 
than somebody buying me a sandwich, or somebody playing tennis with 
someone, or someone playing golf with someone; 52 $5,000 contributions.
  In 1994, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bryant] got $273,689.51, and 
over half of those were from special interest PAC's, but he does not 
want to talk about that.
  The gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio] got $196,400, and 69 
percent, over two-thirds, came from PAC's. He got contributions from 
the American Federation of State, county and municipal people. He got 
the cable industry, human rights campaign, Democrat, Republican, 
Independent Voters Educational Political Action Fund, and a lot of 
labor unions. But those do not have influence, folks, those $5,000 
contributions to him does not have any influence. I believe that. But 
if I have a hamburger with somebody I am breaking the law? That is 
buying influence? I think my colleagues have their priorities kind of 
skewed.
  Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that many of these functions 
that we are talking about raises money for charitable contributions, 
like leukemia research and cancer research. I say to my colleagues, I 
think that is very important. I would rather have these private 
individuals do this and private groups do this than the taxpayers.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
[Mr. Bryant] if he would like to respond to the gentleman who just 
spoke.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time. 
I would like to ask the gentleman from Indiana if he would engage in a 
colloquy with me.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, since we are talking about 
political action committee contributions, did the gentleman vote for 
the campaign finance bill that passed the House last year?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I do not know which the gentleman 
is talking about. We had several.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Did the gentleman vote for any of them?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I would have to check.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. I do not have to check.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, may I ask the gentleman a 
question? I will limit the campaign contributions to $1,000. Will he 
vote for that?
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Regular order, Mr. Speaker. I have the time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, then let me respond.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. The gentleman had political action committee 
contributions when most of us voted to limit those and the gentleman 
did not.
  Let me ask a second question. Has the gentleman played golf at any 
time in the last year at the expense of a lobbyist?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I have played golf at the expense of people 
raising money for leukemia research and for cancer research so the 
taxpayers do not have to.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Did those people happen to be lobbyists?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. No.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Is the gentleman going to tell Members of the 
House that you have not played golf this year at the expense of a 
lobbyist?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. No.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. How about last year?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. No. The people who put on fundraisers for 
cancer research are organizations, not lobbyists.

[[Page H 8567]]

  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I am not even 
talking about these sham vacations that come in the guise of----
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to 
yield, will you let me answer? Do not ask me a question if----
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. The gentleman's answer was no, I think. And what 
I am saying is, I am not even talking about these sham vacations that 
come in the guise of some fundraising scheme for some charity. I am 
talking about just taking you out on the golf course and letting you 
play golf for free? The gentleman is going to say you have not done 
that?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. No. I said no. Did the gentleman hear me?
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Very well. I am just so surprised, Mr. Burton.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Will the gentleman vote for an amendment to 
your bill to limit campaign contributions from PACs to $1,000? Because 
I am going to introduce it, and I want to see if the gentleman will 
vote for it because you are getting all these $5,000 contributions.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. I would ask the gentleman if he will vote for a 
bill that says Members do not get to play golf for free and they have 
to pay for their own green fees? That is what we have before the House 
today.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Of course.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. The gentleman will vote for a bill that says a 
lobbyist cannot pay for a Member's golf green fees?
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Of course.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. It is before us. Vote with us.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. The fact of the matter is, will the gentleman 
vote to limit your campaign contributions to $1,000?
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. I have already voted for political action 
committee reform.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. The gentleman is going to get that chance, 
because we are going to propose that amendment to your bill.
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time. I will say one 
more time. Mr. Burton protests against circumstances against which he 
had a chance to change and he refused to vote to change it.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Did you get 52 $5,000 contributions?
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay], the majority whip.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support 
this rule. This is a fair rule which provides for the consideration of 
the legislative branch appropriations bill. This appropriations bill is 
the first shot across the bow for those last defenders of the status 
quo. It cuts spending first, it cuts spending fast, and it cuts 
spending fairly.
  In fact, this bill spends $205 million less than we spent last year 
on the legislative branch. These are real cuts, not the mythical 
decreases in the rate of spending made popular by the former majority.
  Mr. Speaker, we have kept our promises with this legislation and we 
will continue to keep these promises all during the fall. Let us not be 
confused by the rhetoric from the other side of the aisle. They keep 
trying to confuse the issue.The issue here is spending. They do not 
have a plan to cut spending so they go into gift bans and all this 
other stuff.
  A vote to defeat the previous question will kill this conference 
report. It will not reform campaign finance, it will not reform our 
lobby laws. Any claims to the contrary are simply not accurate. The 
minority seeks to defeat the previous question so they can stop this 
first spending reduction bill in its tracks. That is not why the 
American people sent us here. They sent us here to change the way the 
government operates.
  I want to commend the gentleman from California, Ron Packard, my good 
friend, for his excellent work on this conference report. It is truly 
the first step to a balanced budget. So I urge my colleagues to think 
before you vote to vote for real reform and to vote to cut spending 
first by voting for the previous question for the rule and for this 
conference report.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DeLAY. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I asked earlier of the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] if he could indicate when we would 
deal with gift reform and lobby reform if it were not possible to do it 
on this bill at this time, which, by the way, does nothing to disturb 
any of the other work that Mr. Packard and his committee have done, as 
I have indicated. But when will that be brought to the floor if we do 
not bring it up tonight and try to resolve it before we go to 
Baltimore?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, the best I can tell the gentleman is before 
we adjourn sine die.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue 
to yield, does that mean it will be effective in the next Congress?
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder].
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for 
yielding time to me.
  This is an incredible debate to have on our first day back. It is 
absolutely no wonder the American people are very tired of listening to 
the wrangling in this body. It is like we have not been away.
  Now, let me talk about some of the things that I think do not pass 
the straight-face test. Yes, this is the first of the 13 bills we have 
to pass to keep the Government going before September 30. September 30 
has been the deadline forever and ever. It is not a secret date. We 
know it. And we have never been so late in getting these bills done. So 
there is a possibility that many people are going to be furloughed, all 
sorts of awful things are going to happen, the Government may close 
down, or whatever, but we are going to step up to the plate today, if 
this passes, and we are going to pass ours first. That means if we get 
to the 30th and you have not passed the others, we will not be hurt.
  It is interesting because we are putting it in the name of ``we are 
belt tightening,'' which is true, we are belt tightening, so we are 
setting an example and we just hope that we will be able to get the 
other people's bills through. If they are not, they will be furloughed, 
have a nice day, or their programs will be cut or whatever, but we will 
not be hurt. We will not be tied to the track as this train wreck is 
coming. That is No. 1.
  Listen to this and say wait a minute. Wait a minute. This bill ought 
to be last, not first. If the Congress has not gotten its business 
done, they certainly should not make sure that they are held harmless 
by the fact they have not done their business. That is what the 
President is talking about when he says he will not sign this. I salute 
him. He is right.
  Now, No. 2, we have been trying to get a gift bill cleaned up since 
President Truman was here. President Truman was the first President to 
come down and say that there were lobbying loopholes, and we have 
worked away at trying to tinker and figure it out. Last year this body 
passed it, the other body filibustered it. This year the other body 
passed it and we are trying to say let us put exactly the same thing on 
and be done with it.
  Mr. Speaker, I love the golf conversation. Now, the way I understand 
these things, and maybe the gentleman from Texas can explain it to me, 
people come to play golf to raise money for these wonderful causes, and 
they are wonderful causes, but they come because they think they are 
going to get to play with a Congressman and they may have some words 
with them as they ride around in the cart.
  Now, first of all, if we cared so much about the cause, I would think 
we would be willing to donate our time, would we not, and pay for our 
own green fees and have a little more money for whatever we are doing? 
And, second, to pretend like these are just citizens who walked in and 
were willing to donate so some Congressman could play free, that does 
not make sense. We know what this is all about and it is not passing 
the straight-face test.
  We should pass this gift ban. It would make people feel much better 
about what is going on here. We also should not be rushing out here to 
pass our bill first so ourselves and our staff and the Senate, boy, no 
matter how bad we mess up, we will not be hurt. We will 

[[Page H 8568]]
get our paycheck through all of this and we just hope some of those GS-
7's or some people relying on Government checks or whatever, that they 
do not get hurt too bad, and we hope we get their bills through before 
the 30th or whatever.
  Now, that just looks like the same old same old. In fact, worse than 
that, because I think that the people on this side of the aisle, who 
have been on the appropriations and in a leadership position can tell 
you we had these bills in this body passed every single time in July, 
at the latest. Never have we come back and had more than one or two 
bills hanging out there with some kind of disagreement. But now to have 
all 13, and run forth and say we will take care of ourselves first, as 
this great example that we belt tightened, yeah, we belt tightened, and 
we should have, but we are not hurt, and we are not going to do the 
gift bill because we are hiding behind the legalism of nonegermane, 
baloney. People are tired of it. Vote it down.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], the distinguished chairman of the Committee 
on Appropriations.
  (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the Committee on Rules 
for recommending a good rule. This is an excellent conference 
agreement, and I urge the adoption of this conference agreement and the 
ordering as well of the previous question.
  Frankly, I am astounded at hearing all of this revisionist history, 
about how in 40 years of Democratic control of the House of 
Representatives you could not pass a gift ban bill, so now all of a 
sudden it is imperative we defeat the previous question on a rule so we 
can add a gift ban bill to a conference report that has nothing 
whatsoever to do with a gift ban bill.
  Now, you had 40 years to do it and yet you want to do it today? How 
about next year? That is when we are going to take it up. The Speaker 
has indicated we are going to take it up next year. Let us take it up 
then.

                              {time}  1645

  This is a good conference agreement. The gentlewoman says, ``We are 
helping ourselves first.'' First of all, this conference agreement cuts 
$206 million below 1995, when the Democrats were in control of the 
House. It cuts $114.7 million below the budget authority allocation for 
this bill. It cuts $20.4 million below the outlay allocation, and it 
cuts, this is what they do not like to hear, 2,614 full-time Federal 
employees, a 9,5 percent reduction. They do not like to hear that, so 
they want to tack on all this extraneous stuff to overlook the fact 
that we are actually accomplishing a great deal.
  The gentlewoman says, ``We have never approached this bill first.'' 
Let me suggest to the gentlewoman she is entirely wrong. In fact, for 
fiscal year 1995, in which the Democrats were the majority party, this 
was the first bill to be signed by the President of the United States 
on July 22, 1994. For fiscal 1994 it was the first bill to be signed on 
August 11, 1993. For fiscal 1992 it was the first bill to be signed, on 
August 14, 1991, and for the point that the gentlewoman made about it 
never being so late, never been passed late, this bill was signed with 
all 13 bills on November 5, 1990. It was signed with all 13 bills on 
December 22, 1987, and it was signed with all 13 bills in an omnibus 
C.R. on October 18, 1986.
  The point is that these arguments are fallacious. They are red 
herrings. They are trying to get around the fact that this is a good 
conference agreement. We cut our budget, we bring it to the President 
and say, ``It cuts money out of the legislative budget, the budget that 
governs the conduct of this House and the other body.'' It is a decent 
conference report, and it is foolish, foolish to say, after they could 
not pass a gift ban in 40 years, therefore we ought to disrupt this 
good bill and pass a gift ban with it today. I say to the Members, 
reject what they are trying to do, order the previous question, pass 
the rule, pass the bill, and let us get on with the business, because 
we are running out of time.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, my friend, the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. 
Livingston], who is a very fine Member, before he leaves the Chamber I 
am afraid had a little case of selective amnesia a moment ago. He said 
that we had never passed this. I know he did not intend that. We did 
pass this bill last year. It was passed when the Democrats controlled 
the Congress last year, it passed the House of Representatives, went 
over to the Senate, was filibustered by Republicans in the Senate.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. 
Obey].
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I take the time to simply inform Members what 
I plan to do on the motion to recommit, and also to urge opposition to 
the previous question on the rule. As the gentlewoman from Colorado has 
indicated, I think it is extremely unseemly, when it appears that we 
are headed into a train wreck with the Government shutting down because 
of the nonpassage of various appropriations bills, I think it is 
unseemly that the one bill which would be released from the track so it 
will not participate in that train wreck is the bill that funds the 
legislative branch of Government. I do not think the public will 
understand that, I do not think we would want to have to go home and 
explain that.
  If other groups in this society are going to be held hostage, so 
should we. That is why I will offer a motion to recommit, which would 
require that the bill be recommitted to the committee on conference 
with instructions that the conferees not meet until they are 
subsequently instructed to do so by the House, so we can in fact pass 
our other business before we take care of our own.
  Second, with respect to the previous question, I simply want to say 
that I find it amazing that the majority party cannot object at all 
when 17 separate legislative riders were attached to the EPA 
appropriation bill, virtually all of which were special interest deals. 
Yet, they somehow are morally offended when we try to attach an 
amendment to the legislative appropriations bill which cleans up the 
relationship between Members of Congress and lobbyists.
  I for one am tired of seeing network news programs run stories about 
Members of Congress schmoozing with lobbyists on beaches or on golf 
courses. We all understand the special advantage that gives them. We 
think it is a special advantage that ought to be taken away. That is 
why the Bryant amendment ought to pass.
  With respect to the equation of PAC contributions, let me simply say 
this. I myself make no apologies whatsoever for any PAC contributions I 
have ever received. They are fully aboveboard, they are reported, and I 
have no objection to having a bunch of workers in the back of the shop 
being able to unite to contribute collectively as much as four chief 
executives in the front office can contribute to the other side in any 
corporation.
  I would also say that I frankly find it a joke to have Members of the 
majority party concerned about a $5,000 PAC contribution and the damage 
that may do to the legislative process, but they have no objection 
whatsoever to one family in Wisconsin contributing $1 million to the 
empire of the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], GOPAC, and the 
other pieces. If we want to get worried about buying special 
privileges, I would say that is what we ought to start looking at.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Washington [Mrs. Smith], a distinguished and effective freshman 
Member of this Congress.
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I just returned from a 
conference in Dallas that I heard referred to earlier. It was United We 
Stand America. I have spoken in 2 weeks to over 20,000 people at 
conventions. There is now a national group called the Clean Congress 
Foundation that is now bigger than all of the individual groups.
  I will tell the Members, America is disgusted as much by the partisan 
bickering, posturing, with no intent to go anywhere, as they are with 
anything. Dallas was about a lot of people tired of partisan politics, 
disgusted by people that have held power for 42 years that could have 
cleaned up the system, who are now standing pure as the driven snow, 
disgusted; disgusted by the Republicans that used to do the 

[[Page H 8569]]
same thing, all of us, them and us, on both sides of the aisle.
  I want to tell the Members that what is most disturbing today to 
Middle America is what they are seeing on the floor today. I checked 
out to see if this amendment could actually do anything. No. Members 
know it cannot do anything. The Parliamentarian stands and says it is 
not germane. It is not even debatable. They knew when they took up this 
time on the floor that there was not a chance of a cold day in hell of 
getting it through, and they were playing with the American people 
again, and they are mad. They are mad.
  I tell the Members today, we have a bill, the Clean Congress Act, 
2072, and it stops playing around like this bill that still allows 
trips, trips that fly you all over the world as gifts, still allows 
things that people do not want. They do not want a $50 gift, they do 
not want a $100 gift, they do not want any gift. They want no money 
flowing here in Washington, DC. 2072 is the bill that we want to pass, 
and we ask Members to stop quibbling and support it. Please approve the 
previous question.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the gentlewoman, who is a 
new Member, that I offered a motion in the Committee on Rules to waive 
germaneness so this could be brought up on the floor today, and that 
motion was voted down on a straight party line vote. The Republican 
members of the Committee on Rules refused to waive germaneness in the 
Committee on Rules so we could address this issue today. The Democratic 
members asked that it be waived in the Committee on Rules.
  If the Republican Members had been willing to do that in the 
Committee on Rules, there would be no argument on the floor today about 
whether it is germane or not germane. This is all a game. This is all a 
sham on the other side of the aisle. This could be brought up. This 
could have been on the floor today if the Republican Members of the 
Committee on Rules would have permitted it to be on the floor today.
  It is 9 months now. We passed this last year. I want to make that 
point again, because the gentlewoman made the same point that the 
gentleman from Louisiana made: Why did the Democrats not pass this? The 
Democratically controlled House of Representatives did pass this last 
year, and it was blocked by the Republican Members of the U.S. Senate 
in a filibuster.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut 
[Ms. DeLauro].
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the 
previous question, and I urge my colleague to vote against the previous 
question so that the gift and lobbying reform language can be added to 
this legislation. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are very 
fond these days of talking about how responsive they are to the 
American public. I will tell the Members, go to any town hall, go to 
any group of Americans these days, working middle-class families. The 
American public strongly favors banning gifts from lobbyists to Members 
of Congress, and they are right, because it is the perks and the 
privileges that demean this institution, and every single person who 
serves here.
  That is not what we were elected to do, or why we were elected to 
this body. We are here to do the people's business, and we are well 
compensated for that. We do not need free vacations, free frequent 
flier miles, free gifts, or free meals to sweeten the deal.
  Let me say that working middle-class families are getting nothing for 
free. They are paying every single day for everything, and they are 
working darned hard for it. Let us understand what their lives are 
about. They are getting a glimpse of what some Members of this body's 
lives are about in accepting free gifts from lobbyists and their 
influence every single day.
  We do need to enforce disclosure by the lobbyists. The American 
people have a right to know how much these groups are spending in order 
to influence legislation in this body. It is high time that we tackled 
these issues and join our colleagues in the other body in implementing 
serious gift and lobby reform.
  The Republican leadership has repeatedly told us that the schedule 
for this session is full, so that the vote today, Mr. Speaker, is 
probably our last chance to pass lobby and gift reform this year. Let 
us seize the opportunity to limit the influence of special interests. 
Let us defeat the previous question. Let us once and for all tell the 
American people that we are serious about reform. Let this body reflect 
the interests of the people and not the special interests.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. Shays].
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, these are the kinds of debates where you wonder whether 
you should weigh in, because a lot of people are angry and there is a 
lot of partisan debate. Then you say, ``Is this something you want to 
be a part of, this debate?'' I do not know if I want to be a part of 
this debate, but I do want to say that I believe with all my heart and 
soul that I have waited 40 years for the opportunity to have a leading 
role as a majority Member. I have only been in office 8 months in the 
majority. I would like to give my Republicans an opportunity to do in 2 
years this issue, which my colleagues on that side had an opportunity 
to do for 40 years.
  When I listen to the gentlewoman from Colorado, Pat Schroeder, saying 
that ``I am voting for the legislative appropriation because I want to 
increase or make sure that I am paid,'' in this code, by statute, 
Members of Congress and the President of the United States are under 
permanent appropriation. The Democrats voted in 1980, and Republicans 
as well, to make sure that we were paid under permanent appropriation, 
so I just do not think it carries any weight to say a Member of 
Congress wants to vote for the legislative appropriation to be paid. We 
are, for whatever reason, in this book, permanent.
  In terms of the issue of gift ban or lobby disclosure, I will say 
something I would never say if I did not mean it. I would not run again 
if gift ban and lobby disclosure are not passed. I would say to my 
colleagues, this issue is going to be taken up by Republicans. If it is 
not taken up, I will not run again. That is how strongly I believe in 
my leadership and in my fellow Republicans taking up gift ban and lobby 
disclosure.
  I happen to agree with what the Senate has done. I do not think it is 
monumental, but I think it gets us a long way. I do not criticize that 
side for bringing this issue up. If it puts it on the antenna of some 
of our leadership, then so be it. However, there are very important 
Members of this Congress who have gotten elected on this issue.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret that I have to say this. I think there are some 
Members on the other side who feel if they repeat something often 
enough that is not true, people will believe it, so I feel an 
obligation to repeat what is true. The previous speaker just said the 
Democrats did not pass this legislation. We passed this legislation 
last year. The gift ban was passed by the Democratically controlled 
House of Representatives. It is not true to say that the Democratic 
Party would not and could not pass this piece of legislation.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished colleague, the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett].
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, the Senate of the United States has acted on this issue 
and they achieved a good result because they had some bipartisan 
support. It is unfortunate today that there appears to be no 
bipartisanship on this question of how we can cut the ties that have 
bound legislators and lobbyists, because it definitely needs to be 
attended to.
  I think that all that this will accomplish is to take an imperfect 
compromise from the Senate and put it in place here in the House. If 
anyone needs a reason as to why this ought to occur, let me reflect on 
my own experience in this regard, because when this measure was up 
before, I spoke on it here on the floor of the House. I addressed the 
issue on the floor of the House in the motion to recommit, and 

[[Page H 8570]]
I did so without making any reference to either Democrats or 
Republicans, but suggested there was a need to end these freebies.
  What I got from that in response was a member of the Republican 
Committee on Appropriations, one of the great cardinals who is here on 
the floor today, to tell me that he had told his staff to go out and 
look for a project to cut in my district. They found one to the tune of 
$90 million, a project in my district to whittle out because I had the 
audacity as a new Member to stand up and say we need to do something 
about a gift ban.
  Well, I am here today to say I am not going to be intimidated on that 
issue because I think it goes to the core of what this Congress is 
about and the demand of people to see this place cleaned up. My 
objection to the Republicans is not that they have done too much to 
change the way this Congress operates, but they have done too little, 
and they know it.
  In Texas when you shake hands on something like Speaker Gingrich did 
up in New Hampshire, it means something. It is an agreement. You lend 
your word. But all we got was a promise and a lot of talk and whistling 
in the background. Someday over the rainbow we will get around to 
dealing with this.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DOGGETT. I will yield on your time as long as you want to talk 
about this act of intimidation right here on the floor of the Congress.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Packard].
  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to take time to clarify two 
issues that have been mentioned several times.
  Last year we did pass a gift ban bill. It was not this gift ban that 
is being proposed. Totally different. This one is 51 pages long. I have 
not read a single page of that 51 pages. I do not think any Member of 
Congress except those that have proposed it have read the 51 pages. 
This is not the time to pass a 51-page amendment to this conference 
report. That is the point I wanted to make.
  The second point: We have worked very carefully for several years and 
certainly this year to make this a bipartisan bill. I want to commend 
the gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio] who is the ranking member of 
the subcommittee. We have worked in a bipartisan way.
  Unfortunately, this is turning into a very partisan vote on the rule. 
Frankly, that is probably the way it is going to go, along a straight 
partisan vote. That is unfortunate when we have worked together on a 
nonpartisan bill that has done a lot of good work for restructuring 
Congress.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
Then I will be yielding to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bryant].
  Mr. Speaker, last night at the United We Stand meeting in Fort Worth, 
I informed the United We Stand members that the Republicans would 
unanimously vote against the gift ban today. That appears to be the 
case, based on what I have just heard. I think that is unfortunate. We 
have a chance to lay this issue to rest once and for all, but the 
Republicans will not permit us to bring it up.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Bryant], the author of the gift ban.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hastings of Washington). The gentleman 
from Texas is recognized for 2 minutes.
  (Mr. BRYANT of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate my colleague 
the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Frost] yielding me the time.
  Let me simply say that we have heard a number of statements on the 
floor today that once again, as the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Frost] 
said, need to be corrected very clearly. First, the repeated refrain 
from the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston] and a few others, 
why did the Democrats not pass this legislation in the past when they 
had control of the House?
  The answer, of course, is we did pass it. We did not just pass it 
once, we passed it twice. It was filibustered to death by the then 
Republican minority in the Senate.
  Second, we heard the gentlewoman from Washington [Mrs. Smith] say a 
moment ago that somehow or another what we are trying to do will have 
no effect, it cannot happen, it is against the rules.
  The fact of the matter is that notwithstanding what the gentlewoman 
from Washington [Mrs. Smith] was told, I am sure by some Members on her 
side, we can pass this gift ban in the next hour and a half simply by 
voting down the previous question. That is all we are asking that this 
House do.
  This is about the third time we have asked that this be done this 
year. We did it last year. We are simply asking that we go ahead and 
make the same rules that apply to the Senate as of 5 weeks ago also 
apply to the House. It is not complicated. It is a simple question of 
whether or not you want to do it. It is just that simple.
  Does it make sense, particularly in light of all of the legislatures 
around the country who have already applied these kind of rules or more 
strict rules to themselves, does it make any sense that the House of 
Representatives would be the last bastion of free golf and free tennis 
and free ski trips for legislators? I think it does not make any sense. 
We have moved into a new era. Nobody is perfect.
  We began this process, by the way, in a very bipartisan fashion 2\1/
2\ years ago. We actually got it out of the subcommittee which I was 
the chairman of at the time with a unanimous vote of both parties. But 
at some point along the way, one side of the House decided it was not 
in their interest to see it passed and it was filibustered to death in 
the Senate.
  Look, let us just take it up and pass it today and not hear of it any 
more. If you want to go further than the Senate has gone, and I would 
sure like to because I do not think they went far enough, but if you 
want to go further than the Senate has gone, you can do so. This does 
not raise any obstacles to that. Certainly you can do so. But today let 
us pass the Senate rule that says Members of the Senate cannot get free 
gifts from lobbyists, and make it apply to the House of 
Representatives, and be done with this issue and do the American people 
a favor.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield the remainder of my time to 
that distinguished member of the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Dreier].
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California is recognized 
for 3 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend from Miami, the 
vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the 
House, for yielding me this time.
  I would like to bring us back to the issue that we are debating here. 
It happens to be the legislative branch appropriations bill.
  If we are going to simply comply with the standing rules of the House 
which is what we try desperately to do on a regular basis, we will not 
waive germaneness. With the exception of the conference report itself, 
there are not waivers on this bill, and so it seems to me that the 
responsible thing for us to do is to recognize that a measure which is 
going to cut $205 million, a real cut of $205 million, should have the 
chance to be voted on here on the House floor.
  We have been debating during this legislative branch appropriations 
debate the issue of lobbying reform. The fact of the matter is that is 
going to come up. As my friend, the gentleman from Connecticut, has 
pointed out, an opportunity has existed for four long, uninterrupted 
decades on the other side of the aisle to deal with this issue. The 
104th Congress has met for 8 months. We have had 8 months to deal with 
a wide range of things.
  I would hasten to say to my friends from Texas, Mr. Doggett 
especially whom I asked to yield earlier, when he said that we have not 
brought about reforms, I have to take that as a personal insult, 
because on January 4, we passed the largest, most sweeping reforms that 
the U.S. Congress has seen in over half a century. Not since the 1946 
Legislative Reorganization Act have we done very important things that 
gained bipartisan support, like eliminating proxy voting; dramatically 
reducing the number of committees and subcommittees, by 25 percent; 
reducing by 

[[Page H 8571]]
a third committee staff; and something that my friend from Connecticut 
also worked long and hard on, having Congress comply with the laws 
imposed on other Americans.
  The fact of the matter is we brought about major sweeping reforms and 
it has not come to an end. But this bill is not where we should be 
debating this. We are simply trying to cut the level of appropriations 
for this institution, and I hope very much that we will be able to pass 
the previous question, and pass this rule.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to defeat 
the previous question in order to add the gift and lobbying reform 
provisions passed by the other body to the conference report now before 
the House. Unless we act now, the House will have no opportunity this 
year to vote on lobbying and gift reform.
  Throughout the 104th Congress, the House Republican leadership has 
refused to schedule consideration of lobbying and gift reform 
legislation. In fact, they have made it clear that such measures will 
not be considered by the House this year. From the first day of the 
104th Congress, the Republican leadership has allowed corporate 
lobbyists unprecedented access to the legislative drafting process. 
This access has resulted in weakened environmental and health 
protections, crippled worker safety standards, and special tax benefits 
for the wealthiest Americans. Nowhere in the much-heralded Contract 
With America did the Republican leadership address gift and lobbying 
reform. Nowhere in the Rules of the House reform package did these 
provisions appear. My colleagues, the silence of the House Republican 
leadership on this issue has been deafening.
  Mr. Speaker, twice during the 103d Congress, the House approved 
similar lobbying reform and gift legislation by solid bipartisan 
majorities only to see these measures stalled by filibusters in the 
other body. Now that they have finally passed these reforms, we in the 
House must also act.
  The lobbying reform provisions would correct the enormous loopholes 
in current law that allow more than 70 percent of Washington's 
lobbyists to lobby congressional offices without registering. Under 
these provisions, unpaid grass-roots lobbying activities would be 
completely exempt from the new requirements, as would advocacy by 
churches and religious groups.
  My colleagues, the issue of lobbying and gift reform has been 
thoroughly debated by Congress. The time to act is now. I urge defeat 
of the previous question so that we may add these important provisions 
to H.R. 1854, the conference report on legislative branch 
appropriations for fiscal year 1996.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the previous 
question on the rule for the legislative branch appropriations 
conference report.
  First, let me commend my colleagues, Vic Fazio, Marty Meehan, and 
John Bryant for bringing this important issue to the floor.
  My friends, let's not pass the bill which funds our daily business 
until we reform the political business-as-usual in this city.
  It has been 87 days since our Speaker shoot hands with the President 
in New Hampshire, pledging to act on campaign finance and political 
reform.
  I praised the Speaker for that handshake.
  In fact, I asked the Speaker to consider a bill I introduced with 
Marty Meehan, Tim Johnson and others that would establish the kind of 
independent commission that the Speaker shook hands on.
  But since then, the Speaker argued against a rush to judgment.
  Eighty-seven days later, it's safe to say the Republican leadership 
of the House is in no rush to clean up our political system.
  And that's a shame.
  We're the only House in this city that is dragging its feet on 
reform.
  At the White House, the President has twice laid out his detailed 
plan to the Speaker. He's even named possible commissioners.
  The other body--not known for its zest for reform--held 2 days of 
debate and passed solid lobbying and gift ban reform bills.
  During the first 100 days of this Congress, we passed numerous items 
of the Contract With America which will do great harm to our cities, 
our families, and our environment.
  During the second 100 days, we passed appropriations bills that slash 
so many of the programs which benefit ordinary Americans, while at the 
same time leaving policies that help rich and powerful corporations 
untouched.
  So before another 100 days go by since the historic handshake in New 
Hampshire, let's at least take one small step to try to convince the 
American people that this institutions is not for sale to the highest 
bidder.
  Defeat the previous question. Adopt these critical gift and lobbying 
reforms.
  Don't wait another day.
  Pass reform now.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, 
and I move the previous question on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous 
question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  Pursuant to the provisions of clause 5 of rule XV, the Chair 
announces that he will reduce to a minimum of 5 minutes the period of 
time within which a vote by electronic device, if ordered, will be 
taken on the question of agreeing to the resolution.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 228, 
nays 179, not voting 27, as follows:
                             [Roll No. 636]

                               YEAS--228

     Allard
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baker (CA)
     Baker (LA)
     Ballenger
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bereuter
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bono
     Brewster
     Brownback
     Bryant (TN)
     Bunn
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Canady
     Castle
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Chrysler
     Clinger
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins (GA)
     Combest
     Cooley
     Cox
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cremeans
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Davis
     DeLay
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     English
     Ensign
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fawell
     Fields (TX)
     Flanagan
     Forbes
     Fowler
     Fox
     Franks (CT)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frisa
     Funderburk
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Goss
     Graham
     Greenwood
     Gunderson
     Gutknecht
     Hancock
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Heineman
     Herger
     Hilleary
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hoke
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kim
     King
     Kingston
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Lightfoot
     Linder
     Livingston
     Longley
     Lucas
     Manzullo
     Martini
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     Metcalf
     Meyers
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Molinari
     Moorhead
     Murtha
     Myers
     Myrick
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oxley
     Packard
     Parker
     Paxon
     Petri
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Pryce
     Quillen
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Roberts
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roth
     Roukema
     Royce
     Salmon
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer
     Schiff
     Seastrand
     Sensenbrenner
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Shuster
     Skeen
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Stearns
     Stockman
     Stump
     Talent
     Tate
     Tauzin
     Taylor (NC)
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Torkildsen
     Traficant
     Upton
     Vucanovich
     Walker
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)
     Zeliff
     Zimmer

                               NAYS--179

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Andrews
     Baesler
     Baldacci
     Barcia
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Beilenson
     Bentsen
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bonior
     Borski
     Boucher
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant (TX)
     Cardin
     Chabot
     Chapman
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coleman
     Collins (IL)
     Collins (MI)
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Danner
     de la Garza
     DeFazio
     DeLauro
     Dellums
     Deutsch
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doyle
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Farr
     Fazio
     Fields (LA)
     Filner
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Frost
     Furse
     Gejdenson
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Gutierrez
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hamilton
     Hastings (FL)
     Hefner
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Holden
     Hoyer
     Jackson-Lee
     Jacobs
     Jefferson
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E.B.
     Johnston
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kleczka
     LaFalce

[[Page H 8572]]

     Lantos
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Luther
     Manton
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McDermott
     McHale
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Miller (CA)
     Mineta
     Minge
     Mink
     Montgomery
     Moran
     Nadler
     Neal
     Obey
     Olver
     Orton
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pastor
     Payne (NJ)
     Payne (VA)
     Pelosi
     Peterson (FL)
     Peterson (MN)
     Pickett
     Pomeroy
     Poshard
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reed
     Richardson
     Rivers
     Roemer
     Rose
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sabo
     Sanders
     Sawyer
     Schroeder
     Schumer
     Scott
     Skaggs
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Studds
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Taylor (MS)
     Tejeda
     Thompson
     Thornton
     Thurman
     Torres
     Torricelli
     Towns
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Volkmer
     Ward
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Waxman
     Williams
     Wise
     Woolsey
     Wyden
     Wynn
     Yates

                             NOT VOTING--27

     Bishop
     Brown (FL)
     Deal
     Fattah
     Foley
     Geren
     Green
     Harman
     Lincoln
     Maloney
     McDade
     McKinney
     Mfume
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Morella
     Oberstar
     Ortiz
     Reynolds
     Riggs
     Sanford
     Serrano
     Sisisky
     Smith (NJ)
     Tucker
     Waldholtz
     Wilson

                              {time}  1731

  Ms. SLAUGHTER and Mr. MANTON changed their vote from ``yea'' to 
``nay.''
  So the previous question was ordered.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I, reluctantly voted for the previous 
question in spite of my desire to support the Senate gift ban. I 
personally have implemented the Senate gift ban in my office. While the 
golf and tennis trips worth thousands of dollars to Members usually 
benefit charity as well as the Members, there is no question in my mind 
that these primarily recreational trips should be eliminated as a 
Member's perk. The American people are demanding that we reform this 
system of expensive dinners, gifts, and trips. The question is not 
whether or not people believe the other party. They don't trust them 
either. Citizens are fed up with both parties because they believe we 
work too closely with those who give us financial benefits--personal 
and political. Our large freshman Republican class was elected largely 
on Government reform. We are not likely to remain if we don't progress 
on real reform--of Congress itself, or PACS, of gifts, of term limits. 
I will continue to sponsor legislation on these issues, as well as 
voluntarily implement them in my office. While ultimately this is a 
question of integrity and character, I sincerely hope that our 
leadership will begin voting on these issues soon because previous 
Congresses have spent the public's full measure of trust.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Mr. Hastings of Washington). The question 
is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.

                          ____________________