Frank Lautenberg: “I rise as the initial sponsor of legislation to eliminate most gifts, meals, and travel provided to Members of Congress…”

“I rise as the initial sponsor of legislation to eliminate most gifts, meals, and travel provided to Members of Congress and their staffs. Mr. President, Senate passage of this bill will represent a major step in a journey that began a little over 1 year ago. Last spring, I developed the first bill to ban most gifts to Members of Congress and their staffs. The introduction of that bill, S. 885, was not just an introduction of a piece of legislation. It was an introduction of a whole new idea. An idea that, until then, was not even on the radar screen here in Washington. It is easy to forget how much things have changed in the past year. But just 12 months ago, the idea of simply disclosing these gifts was considered pretty radical. Senator Wellstone had to pull teeth to get the Senate to endorse an amendment disclosing gifts, and it was rightly considered a huge and dramatic step. By contrast, an outright gift ban was considered beyond the pale--not only off the agenda, but beyond the realm of the politically possible. In fact, when I first broached the idea of an outright gift ban, the reaction I got, even among reformers, was skeptical at best. They told me in blunt terms: it would never happen. Well, it may have been a mere pipe dream at the time. But today I am hopeful we will see that even pipe dreams can come true. Sometimes it just takes a little grit and determination.”