Jay Rockefeller: “I openly admit that I have reservations about how the good intentions of Senator Levin's congressional gift reform…”

“I openly admit that I have reservations about how the good intentions of Senator Levin's congressional gift reform legislation will be implemented, and how some provisions could inadvertently affect or raise questions about our families' activities, and those of our staff and their families. Last week, I spoke in support of the McConnell-Johnston alternative. I voted for this alternative because I truly believed it was a more practical and more enforceable effort to address the American public's concern about the need for congressional reform. Despite how the alternative was portrayed in the press, I believe that the McConnell-Johnston amendment represented true reform by lowering the thresholds for gifts, requiring approval by the Senate Ethics Committee for travel to charity events, and dramatically increasing penalties for unethical behavior by Members and staff. I preferred this alternative because it would not force me to question the value of thoughtful gifts from constituents, such as framed pictures taken at West Virginia events, or quilts presented to me as a tribute to the enormous efforts my wife Sharon made to promote West Virginia's quilters.”