Frank Lautenberg: “I rise to express my strong opposition to the amendment that has been offered by the distinguished Senator from…”

“I rise to express my strong opposition to the amendment that has been offered by the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, [Mr. McConnell]. I want to begin by emphasizing that I know this amendment has been offered in good faith and its proponents genuinely believe that it represents the best policy in this area. But, having said that, I want to express my opposition to the amendment in the strongest possible terms. It would, in my view, be a major step backward. It is inconsistent with the goals of the pending legislation and it is incompatible with real reform. I would like to give you just a few examples of the problems I see in the McConnell-Johnston substitute. First, it would authorize the very kind of recreational trips that have created such controversy in the first place. These are trips in which large corporations pay substantial sums for the right to spend a weekend with Senators and Representatives. They can be playing golf or skiing or having dinner together, establishing cozy relationships and in a nutshell, acquiring access.”