[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14274-S14275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              TRAVEL RULES

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I wish to notify all Senators that on 
Friday, November 9, 2007, the Committee on Rules and Administration 
approved the request of the Select Committee on Ethics and granted a 3-
week extension until December 3, 2007, for the Ethics Committee to 
issue the initial guidelines implementing the new rules on privately 
sponsored travel required by Public Law 110-81.
  In their letter to the Rules Committee, Senators Boxer and Cornyn 
note that unless the request is approved, the new travel rules would 
become effective on November 13, 2007. Due to the scheduling of a 
number of proposed trips on or shortly after November 13, the Ethics 
Committee believes that the additional required paperwork would not be 
submitted in time for review before the trips commence.
  The 3-week extension will afford the Ethics Committee additional time 
to post the proposed new travel guidelines on its Web site. These 
guidelines will be effective on December 3, 2007, and all privately 
sponsored travel beginning on or after that date will be required to 
conform to the new rules and guidelines.
  I ask unanimous consent to have the letter from the Ethics Committee 
dated November 7, 2007, printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                   Select Committee on Ethics,

                                 Washington, DC, November 7, 2007.
     Hon. Dianne Feinstein,
     Chairman, Committee on Rules and Administration, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Robert F. Bennett,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Rules and Administration, U.S. 
         Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators Feinstein and Bennett: Consistent with the 
     Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (the 
     ``Act''), the Select Committee on Ethics requests that the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration extends until December 
     3, 2007, the deadline for the Ethics Committee's formal 
     issuance of the initial guidelines implementing the new rules 
     on privately-sponsored travel. (See Section 544(b)(4) of the 
     Act.)

       The legislative history of the Act provides that the new 
     travel requirements ``go into effect 60 days after enactment, 
     or the date the Select Committee on Ethics issues the 
     required guidelines under the rules, whichever is later.'' 
     Without the requested extension, the new travel rules would 
     become effective on November 13, 2007. The Committee has 
     prepared guidelines and new forms that

[[Page S14275]]

     must be completed by Senate members and staff, as well as 
     trip sponsors, 30 days prior to their travel. We would be 
     ready to issue these guidelines and forms on November 13. 
     However, a number of proposed trips that have been submitted 
     to the Committee for review begin on or shortly after 
     November 13, and it would be highly unlikely that the 
     additional paperwork could be completed for review by the 
     Committee before these trips begin.
       If the Committee on Rules and Administration extends the 
     deadline for issuance of the guidelines until December 3, 
     2007, all privately-sponsored travel beginning on or after 
     that date would be required to conform to the new rules and 
     guidelines.
       So that privately-sponsored travel starting on or after 
     December 3, 2007, may meet the requirements of the new travel 
     rules, the Committee intends on November 13, 2007, to post on 
     its Web site a preview of the complete text of the new travel 
     guidelines, and related regulations and forms, that the 
     Committee will issue formally on December 3, 2007, if the 
     Committee on Rules and Administrations grants the requested 
     extension.
       Thank you for your prompt attention to this request,
           Sincerely,
                                                    Barbara Boxer,
                                                         Chairman.
                                                      John Cornyn,
     Vice Chairman.

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