Ted Stevens: “What about the spouse? Mr. President, I think this type of limited restriction on individuals outside of the Senate…”

“What about the spouse? Mr. President, I think this type of limited restriction on individuals outside of the Senate raises constitutional issues. Each of these people who live with me are individuals in their own right, and I am not sure that this Congress or this Senate has the right to tell them they cannot do something because I am in office or to put me in a position where my job is in jeopardy if they do it. It is one thing to include them where the restrictions are broad and not extremely burdensome but to include them under very strict restrictions that we chose to impose on ourselves seems unfair. Why must it cover the child on one hand then provide all these exemptions on the other. What does it really mean?”