On the recordFebruary 2, 2012
I respectfully ask for a ``no'' vote. As I indicated in support of the side-by-side I offered, executive branch employees are now under very tough ethics regulations requiring, in many cases, divestiture or recusal, and this adds a good requirement which is for some of them to file electronically the disclosure statements they have to make. But the amendment we just passed--mine-- would add that requirement to 2,000 of the top-level policymakers in our Federal Government. Senator Shelby's amendment would extend that to more than 300,000 Federal employees, including some, by our count in the Office of Government Ethics, drivers and secretaries. In addition to the burden it would place on them unduly, we are asking agencies to stretch personnel and resources to fulfill a totally new requirement when, in fact, we want them to save money and not figure out ways to spend more money. I respectfully ask my colleagues to vote no. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the Shelby amendment No. 1491, as modified.
