Alan Simpson: “We earlier passed a managers amendment which banned the current practice that allowed registered lobbyists to write…”

“We earlier passed a managers amendment which banned the current practice that allowed registered lobbyists to write checks to charities designated by Senators who have delivered a speech for an honorarium. This prohibition, however, is limited only to lobbyists and registered foreign agents. Honoraria speeches can still be made under this bill. Appropriate charities can still be designated by the Senator making the speech. The major change in the law is that the payments must not be written or tendered by lobbyists or foreign agents. Of course, 100 percent of any honoraria must go to the charity. I wish to direct this inquiry to the author of the bill, Senator Levin. On February 13, 1992, Senator Kennedy and I received a ruling from the Senate Ethics Committee in regard to our participation in a series of broadcasts known as Face Off on the Mutual Broadcast System. As a result of our participation on Face Off, we are able to direct $25,000 per year to various charitable causes. We are, of course, prohibited from personally keeping one cent of that money. The checks to the selected charities are received from the broadcast group which produces 'Face Off.' The broadcast group is neither a foreign agent or a registered lobbyist. Would the bill, as amended, in the view of the Senator from Michigan, have any adverse effect on this arrangement?”