S7530 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— SENATE May 25, 1995 

(2) remember that victims of leprosy still 

suffer social banishment in many parts of 

the world; and 

(3) honor the people of Kalaupapa as a living American legacy of human spirit and dignity. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 126—TO 

AMEND THE SENATE GIFT RULE 

Mr. MCCONNELL submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Rules and Administration: 

S. RES. 126 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Senate Gift Rule Reform Resolution’’. 

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE SENATE GIFT RULE. 

Rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the 

Senate is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘RULE XXXV 

‘‘GIFTS

‘‘1. (a) No Member, officer, or employee of 

the Senate, or the spouse or dependent thereof, shall knowingly accept, directly or indirectly, any gift in any calendar year of more 

than the minimal value as established by 

section 7342(a)(5) of title 5, United States 

Code, or $100, whichever is less from any person, organization, or corporation unless, in 

limited and appropriate circumstances, a 

waiver is granted by the Select Committee 

on Ethics. 

‘‘(b) The prohibitions of subparagraph (a) 

do not apply to gifts—

‘‘(1) from relatives; or 

‘‘(2) of personal hospitality of an individual. 

‘‘2. For purposes of this rule—

‘‘(a) The term ‘gift’ means a payment, subscription, advance, forbearance, rendering, 

or deposit of money, services, or anything of 

value, including food, lodging, mementos, 

transportation, or entertainment, and reimbursement for expenses, unless consideration 

of equal or greater value is received, but does 

not include (1) a political contribution otherwise reported as required by law, (2) a loan 

made in a commercially reasonable manner 

(including requirements that the loan be repaid and that a reasonable rate of interest be 

paid), (3) a bequest, inheritance, or other 

transfer at death, (4) a bona fide award presented in recognition of public service and 

available to the general public, (5) anything 

of value given to a spouse or dependent of a 

reporting individual by the employer of such 

spouse or dependent in recognition of the 

service provided by such spouse or dependent, (6) free attendance at a widely attended 

event (as such term is defined by the Select 

Committee on Ethics) connected with the official duties of the Member, officer, or employee, (7) permissible travel, lodging, and 

meals at an event connected with the official 

duties of the Member, officer, or employee, 

or (8) permissible travel, lodging, and meals 

at an event to raise funds for a bona fide 

charity, subject to a determination by the 

Select Committee on Ethics that participation in the charity event is in the interest of 

the Senate and the United States. 

‘‘(b) The term ‘relative’ has the same 

meaning given to such term in section 107(2) 

of title I of the Ethics in Government Act of 

1978 (Public Law 95–521). 

‘‘(c) The term ‘permissible travel’ means 

reasonable expenses for transportation which 

are incurred by a Member, officer, or employee of the Senate in connection with services provided to or participation in an event 

sponsored by the organization which provided reimbursement for such expenses or 

which provides transportation directly, however expenses do not include the provision of 

transportation, or the payment for such expenses, for a continuous period in excess of 3 

days exclusive of travel time within the 

United States of 7 days exclusive of travel 

time outside of the United States unless 

such travel is approved by the Select Committee on Ethics as necessary for participation in the event. 

‘‘(d) The terms ‘lodging’ and ‘meals’ do not 

include expenditures for recreational activities or entertainment, other than that provided to all attendees as an integral part of 

the event. 

‘‘3. (a) For purposes of the exceptions provided by paragraphs 2(a)(6), 2(a)(7), and 

2(a)(8), a sponsor’s unsolicited offer of free 

attendance at an event for an accompanying 

spouse shall not be considered to be a gift if 

others in attendance will generally be accompanied by spouses or if such attendance 

is appropriate to assist in the representation 

of the Senate. 

‘‘(b) The Select Committee on Ethics shall 

publish notice in the Congressional Record of 

the attendance by a Member, officer, or employee at an event permitted by paragraphs 

2(a)(7) and 2(a)(8) not later than 30 days after 

such attendance. Attendance by an employee 

at an event permitted by paragraphs 2(a)(7) 

and 2(a)(8) shall be subject to approval of the 

employee’s supervisor. 

‘‘4. If a Member, officer, or employee, after 

exercising reasonable diligence to obtain the 

information necessary to comply with this 

rule, unknowingly accepts a gift described in 

paragraph 1, such Member, officer, or employee shall, upon learning of the nature of 

the gift and its source, return the gift or, if 

it is not possible to return the gift, reimburse the donor for the value of the gift. 

‘‘5. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of 

this rule, a Member, officer, or employee of 

the Senate may participate in a program, 

the principal objective of which is educational, sponsored by a foreign government 

or a foreign educational or charitable organization involving travel to a foreign country paid for by that foreign government or 

organization if such participation is not in 

violation of any law and if the Select Committee on Ethics has determined that participation in such program by Members, officers, or employees of the Senate is in the interests of the Senate and the United States. 

‘‘(b) Any Member who accepts an invitation to participate in any such program shall 

notify the Select Committee in writing of 

his acceptance. A Member shall also notify 

the Select Committee in writing whenever 

he has permitted any officer or employee 

whom he supervises (within the meaning of 

paragraph 11 of rule XXXVII) to participate 

in any such program. The chairman of the 

Select Committee shall place in the Congressional Record a list of all individuals participating; the supervisors of such individuals, 

where applicable; and the nature and 

itinerary of such program. 

‘‘(c) No Member, officer, or employee may 

accept funds in connection with participation in a program permitted under subparagraph (a) if such funds are not used for necessary food, lodging, transportation, and related expenses of the Member, officer, or employee.’’. 

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

The amendment made by section 2 shall 

take effect on October 1, 1995. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 127—RELATIVE TO BORDER CROSSING 

FEES 

Ms. SNOWE submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary: 

S. RES. 127 

Whereas in the budget of the United States 

for fiscal year 1996 that was submitted to 

Congress, the President proposed to impose 

and collect a boarder crossing fee for individuals and vehicles entering the United States; 

Whereas both the Canadian and Mexican 

governments have expressed opposition to 

the imposition and collection of such a fee 

and have raised the possibility of imposing 

retaliatory border crossing fees of their own; 

Whereas the imposition and collection of 

such a fee would have adverse effects on 

tourism and commerce that depend on travel 

across the borders of the United States; 

Whereas the imposition and collection of 

such a fee would have such effects without 

addressing illegal immigration in a meaningful way; 

Whereas on February 22, 1995, the President modified his proposal making the imposition of the new fees voluntary on United 

States border States (but tied the availability of Federal funds to improve border 

crossing infrastructure on their willingness 

to impose such fees); and 

Whereas on May 4, 1995, the President further modified the border crossing fee proposal in immigration control legislation he 

submitted to Congress setting a $1.50 per car 

and $.75 per pedestrian fee structure: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate 

that the United States Government should 

not impose or collect a border crossing fee 

along its borders with Canada and Mexico. 

f 

AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED 

THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

LAUTENBERG AMENDMENT NO. 

1168 

Mr. EXON (for Mr. LAUTENBERG) proposed an amendment to the concurrent 

resolution (S. Con. Res. 13) setting 

forth the congressional budget for the 

U.S. Government for the fiscal years 

1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002; 

as follows: 

On page 68, add at the end of line 12 the following: ‘‘In addition, paragraph (1)(B) of this 

section shall not apply to legislation that 

proposes to eliminate up to $1,000,000,000 

from wasteful bureaucratic overhead and 

wasteful procurement in the military budget, and to apply the resulting savings for use 

in strengthening enforcement of immigration laws.’’. 

LAUTENBERG (AND WELLSTONE) 

AMENDMENT NO. 1169 

Mr. EXON (for Mr. LAUTENBERG for 

himself and Mr. WELLSTONE) proposed 

an amendment to the concurrent resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 

13, supra; as follows: 

On page 68, add at the end of line 12 the following: ‘‘In addition, paragraph (1)(B) of this 

section shall not apply to legislation that 

proposes to eliminate up to $2,000,000,000 

from wasteful bureaucratic overhead and 

wasteful procurement in the military budget, and to apply the resulting savings for use 

in addressing the problem of domestic violence.’’. 

mmaher on MIKETEMP with SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS