III

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 162

To require each accredited member of the Senate Press Gallery to file an

annual public report with the Secretary of the Senate disclosing the

member’s primary employer and any additional sources of earned outside

income.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

AUGUST 10 (legislative day, JULY 10), 1995

Mr. BYRD submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Rules and Administration

RESOLUTION

To require each accredited member of the Senate Press Gallery to file an annual public report with the Secretary

of the Senate disclosing the member’s primary employer

and any additional sources of earned outside income.

Whereas the media are a powerful force within our system of government;

Whereas the media have unequaled influence over the dissemination of information to the American people;

Whereas public trust of the media is essential to the

health and proper functioning of our republican form

of government;
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Whereas the media have no industrywide ethical standards regarding the acceptance of earned outside income;

Whereas members of the media could appear to compromise their objectivity by receiving compensation

from the same groups they cover; and

Whereas it is in the best interests of the American people

and the media that any appearance of a conflict of

interest regarding a member of the media’s receipt of

outside earned income be removed: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved, That (a) not later than May 15 of each

2 year, each accredited member of any of the Senate press

3 galleries who was an accredited member in the preceding

4 year shall file a report for the preceding year with the

5 Secretary of the Senate disclosing the identity of—

6 (1) the primary employer of the member during

7 the preceding year; and

8 (2) the identity of any additional sources of

9 earned outside income received by the member, to10 gether with the amounts received from each such

11 source, during the preceding year.

12 (b) For purposes of this resolution

13 (1) the term ‘‘Senate press galleries’’ means—

14 (A) the Senate Press Gallery;

15 (B) the Senate Radio and Television Cor16 respondents Gallery;
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1 (C) the Senate Periodical Press Gallery;

2 and

3 (D) the Senate Press Photographers Gal4 lery; and

5 (2) the term ‘‘earned outside income’’ means

6 any earned income received from sources other than

7 a member’s primary employer but does not include

8 interest or dividends received on stocks, bonds, sav9 ings accounts, or other forms of passive investment

10 or income from inheritances or rental activities.

11 (c) A report filed pursuant to this resolution shall be

12 filed with the Secretary of the Senate and available for

13 public inspection as provided in section 103 of the Ethics

14 in Government Act of 1978 for financial reports filed by

15 Members and employees of the Senate.

16 (d) An accredited member of any of the Senate press

17 galleries who fails to file a report as required by this reso18 lution shall be subject to the loss of the member’s accredi19 tation or such other penalties as the member’s Senate

20 press gallery deems appropriate.

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