Political Quotes

“as I said earlier, the lobbying reform issue, the lobbying disclosure portion of that conference report is not incorporated in this amendment that we will be voting on. That issue, lobbying disclosure, lobbying registration reform, would be left for later this year. It is not part of this amendment. There were substantive issues that were raised relative to the lobbying disclosure portion of that conference report. Even again, although I did not agree with those issues, we do not attempt to incorporate the language of lobbying disclosure, lobbying registration reform. We have tried for 40 years, and I hope we will continue to try this year. It is the sense-of-the-Senate language in this amendment that we try to reform those laws this year. But since substantive issues were raised about that amendment, that language reforming the lobbying disclosure and registration laws is not incorporated in the amendment that I now offer. What is incorporated is the gift ban, and it is incorporated because when the conference report came before us, a majority--a large majority--of both parties, last October, said they favored adopting these tough new rules, the same rules that are in the amendment that is now pending before this Senate. Mr. President, this amendment would put an end to business as usual. It would put an end to the so-called recreational trips for Members, the so-called charitable golf, tennis, and skiing tournaments.…”