Order Code RL33237
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Congressional Gifts and Travel:
Legislative Proposals for the 109th Congress
January 17, 2006
Mildred Amer
Specialist in American National Government
Government and Finance
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

---

Congressional Gifts and Travel:
Legislative Proposals for the 109th Congress
Summary
It has been a decade since the House and Senate examined their rules on the
acceptance of gifts and travel expenses. Press accounts of alleged excesses in
privately funded congressional travel and gifts, particularly from lobbyists, have
provided an impetus for proposed changes in the 109th Congress.
Legislative proposals introduced thus far and related to congressional gifts and
travel all focus on some aspect of lobbyists and lobbying and include changes to (1)
requirements for the disclosure reports required by the Lobbying Disclosure Act; (2)
permissible gifts given to Members of Congress under the current congressional gift
rules; and (3) the various types of officially-connected travel Members, officers, and
employees of Congress are allowed under current rules.
The bills addressing some or all of these issues in the 109th Congress are H.R.
2412, introduced by Representative Martin Meehan; H.R. 3177, introduced by
Representative George Miller; S. 1398, introduced by Senator Russ Feingold; S.
2128, introduced by Senator John McCain; and H.R. 4575, introduced by
Representative Christopher Shays.
This report provides an analysis of the proposals for change introduced or
discussed in the 109th Congress and will be updated as events warrant. For additional
information, please refer to CRS Report RL33065, Lobbying Disclosure:
Background and Legislative Proposals, 109th Congress, by Eric Peterson, and CRS
Report RL33234, Lobbying Disclosure and Ethics Proposals Related to Lobbying
Introduced in the 109th Congress, A Comparative Analysis, by Eric Peterson.

---

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Lobbyists and Foreign Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Current Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Current Legislative Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Other Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

---

Congressional Gifts and Travel, Legislative
Proposals for the 109th Congress
Introduction
Members, officers, and employees of the House and Senate have strict limits
imposed on the receipt of gifts, including the receipt or acceptance of payment of
reimbursement for travel expenses from outside, private third party sources.1 They
are prohibited from soliciting or accepting gifts from any private source unless
permitted by an exception specified in the congressional rules of conduct.
In general, Members and staff may not accept gifts (including travel and
personal hospitality), reimbursements, or payments of their expenses (other than from
relatives or personal friends). The House and Senate Rules do however, permit de
minimis gifts valued under $50 from private sources, with a maximum of $100 per
calendar year from any one source. Gifts under $10 need not be counted.
Some travel expenses provided by outside, third parties may also be accepted
under limited circumstances if the travel is “officially connected.”2 Travel by staff
must be authorized in writing in advance by the supervising Member.
Lobbyists and Foreign Agents
Lobbyists and foreign agents fall into a special category of prohibited sources
of certain gifts and reimbursements, unless it can be shown that certain gifts were
given on the basis of a long-standing personal friendship with a Member, officer, or
employee of Congress. The additional prohibitions extend to payments to a legal
1 U.S.C. § 7353, House Rule XXV, Clause 5 and Senate Rule XXXV. See CRS Report
RL33047, Restrictions on the Acceptance of “Officially Connected” Travel Expenses from
Private Sources Under House and Senate Ethics Rules, by Jack Maskell. See also U.S.
Congress, Senate Select Committee on Ethics, An Overview of the Senate Code of Conduct
and Related Laws, 109th Congress, First Session, committee print, 109th Cong., 1st sess.
(Washington: GPO, 2005), pp. 2-4; the Senate Select Committee on Ethics website at
[http://ethics.senate.gov], under “Recent Updates & Notices” as well as under “Ethics
Manual”; and U.S. Congress, House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Rules of
the House of Representatives on Gifts and Travel, 106th Cong., 2nd sess., Apr. 2000, as well
as the website of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, available at
[ h t t p : / / w w w . h o u s e . g o v / e t h i c s / G i f t s _ a n d _ T r a v e l _ C h a p t e r . h t m ] a n d
[http://www.house.gov/ethics/Highlights2005a.htm].
2 CRS Report RL33047, Restrictions on the Acceptance of “Officially Connected” Travel
Expenses from Private Sources Under House and Senate Ethics Rules, by Jack Maskell.

---

CRS-2
defense fund; personal hospitality of an individual; payments for a conference, or
similar event connected to a Member, officer, or employee of Congress; any
payments made to an entity maintained or controlled by a Member of Congress; and
charitable contributions made on the recommendation of a Member, officer, or
employee (other than one in lieu of an honorarium). The expenses of “officially
connected travel” also may not be paid for by a registered lobbyist or a foreign agent.
The prohibition also applies even if these prohibited sources will be reimbursed by
a nonlobbyist client.
Under the House and Senate gift rules, a lobbyist is defined as one registered
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and a foreign agent is defined as an
agent of a foreign principal registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
According to interpretations of the rules by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics
and the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, those required to file as
lobbyists under the 1995 act include individual lobbyists as well as organizations that
employ in-house lobbyists, and lobbying firms with one or more employees who are
lobbyists for outside clients.3
An organization that employs lobbyists solely to represent its interests or its
members’ interests is not itself considered a lobbyist for purposes of the gift rules and
can sponsor or reimburse for officially related travel. A lobbying firm that provides
services for others, however, is covered by the gift and travel restrictions. Thus,
while lobbyists and lobbying firms are covered by the congressional gift and travel
rules, the clients or employers of the lobbyists or lobbying firms are not considered
lobbyists unless they actually do lobbying.
Current Issues
In spite of the restrictions on and disclosure requirements for congressional gift
and travel reimbursements for officially connected travel, critics point to the absence
of a total ban on these items from private sources and allegations of abuse of current
rules.4 An October 2005 Associated Press-Ipsos poll found “only one-third of
Americans give Congress good ratings for its ethics and honesty.”5 A January 2006
Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that 58% of those polled thought a recent
corruption case involving a well-known lobbyist was evidence of widespread
corruption in Washington, and 90% thought it should be illegal for registered
3 U.S. Congress, Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Senate Ethics Manual, 108th Congress,
1st Session, S.Pub. 108-1 (Washington: GPO, 2003), p. 43, and the Senate Select Committee
website at [http://ethics.senate.gov/] and refer to the Ethics Manual at that site. See also
[http://www.house.gov/ethics/Gifts_and_Travel_Chapter.htm#_Toc476623599], and U.S.
Congress, House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Gifts and Travel, 106th
Cong., 2nd sess., Apr. 2000, pp. 55-56, 76.
4 John Bresnahan, “Travel Scandal Fallout Ensnares Both Parties,” Roll Call, May 5, 2005,
p. 1.; “Time to Tighten Lobbying Laws,” Lexington (Kentucky) Herald Leader, May 10,
2005, p. A9; and “Sensible Lobbying Reform,” Washington Post, May 9, 2005, p. A22.
5 Will Lister, Associated Press, Oct. 29, 2005.

---

CRS-3
lobbyists to give Members of Congress gifts, trips, or other things of value.6 A Pew
poll taken about the same time showed, however, that “most people around the
country aren’t paying close attention” to the corruption scandal involving the
lobbyist.7
Even if the actions taken by Members and congressional staff are legal under
laws and internal rules, the “appearance” factor places them in the position of abiding
by the rules in place, but possibly engaging in behavior that gives the appearance of
being in “that gray area” between what is “as clean as a hound’s tooth and that which
is obviously improper and illegal.”8
Examples of action permitted under congressional rules but open to criticism
because of the “appearance factor” include (1) accepting any gifts from lobbyists,
even if these gifts are within the permissible limits established by Congress; (2)
accepting “officially connected” travel reimbursements from “lobbyists” who do not
fall within the definition of lobbyists for purposes of the House and Senate gift rules;
(3) traveling on corporate aircraft or other forms of transportation with registered
lobbyists or foreign agents, because there are no restrictions on the traveling
companions of Members and staff; and (4) the absence of guidelines or limits for
“reasonable” expenses for travel and lodging, and “necessary expenses” in
connection with officially connected travel (such as for a speech or fact-finding trip)
that is allowed under House and Senate Rules.9
For corporate aircraft travel, Members and staff must make some form of
reimbursement. The costs of such trips, if not for officially connected travel, is often
covered by a Member’s campaign committee if the trip is for a campaign event. The
payments, however, often do not cover the actual costs. Defenders of the practice
point to the busy schedules of Members and their need to quickly reach destinations
that often are not served by commercial airlines.10
6 Richard Morin and Claudia Deane, “In Abramoff Case, Most See Evidence of Wider
Problem,” Washington Post, Jan. 10, 2006, p. A7.
7 Will Lester, “Corruption Scandal That Rocked Washington Draws Little Scrutiny
Elsewhere,” Associated Press, Jan. 11, 2006.
8 Ralph Eisenberg, “Conflict of Interest Situations and Remedies,” Rutgers Law Review, vol.
13: 666 (1959).
9 “See the World,” Roll Call, Apr. 27, 2005, p. 4; Jim Drinkard, “Travel by Congress Often
Paid Privately,” USA Today, Apr. 25, 2005, p. 1, and “Trips Leave Ethics Behind,” USA
Today, May 2, 2005, p. A10.
10 R. Jeffrey Smith and Derek Willis, “Hill Leaders Often Take Corporate Jets,” Washington
Post, May 6, 2005, p. A1.

---

CRS-4
Current Legislative Proposals11
In the current Congress, there have been discussions, as well as legislative
proposals to change the congressional gift and travel rules, with particular emphasis
on gifts from lobbyists.
In May 2005, Representative Martin Meehan introduced H.R. 2412, which he
drafted with Representatives Rahm Emanuel and Chris Van Hollen.12 The Special
Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005 would
! increase the information and frequency of lobbying disclosures and
require electronic filings;
! extend the revolving door ban on Members, officers, and employees
of Congress from one to two years;
! require Members of Congress to publicly disclose employment
negotiations;
! require certification that congressional travel meets certain
conditions and require increased disclosure of travel by Members;
! mandate the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to
revise as necessary guidelines for permissible “reasonable” and
“necessary” travel expenses; and
! establish an Ethics Task Force to strengthen ethics oversight and
enforcement in the House of Representatives.
In June 2005, Representative George Miller introduced the Lobby Gift Ban Act
of 2005 (H.R. 3177) to prohibit, with some exceptions, gifts from lobbyists to
Members, officers, and employees of Congress or members of their families.13
In July 2005, Senator Russ Feingold introduced the Lobbying and Ethics
Reform Act of 2005.14 S. 1398, similar to H.R. 2412, would
! enhance disclosures as well as require electronic filings by lobbyists;
! require public disclosures by Members of employment negotiations;
11 See also CRS Report RL33065, Lobbying Disclosure: Background and Legislative
Proposals, 109th Congress, by Eric Petersen.
12 Rep. Rahm Emanuel, remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 151,
May 10, 2005, pp. H3087-H3088.
13 Tory Newmyer, “No More $49.99 Gifts If Miller’s Bill Passes,” Roll Call, June 21, 2005,
pp. 1, 22.
14 Sen. Russ Feingold, remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 151,
July 14, 2005, pp. S8310-S8311.

---

CRS-5
! prohibit floor privileges by former Members who are lobbyists;
! mandate certification by Members, officers, and employees that
official travel meets certain standards;
! require full payment and disclosure of charter flights taken by
Members and staff;
! require the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and
the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to revise as necessary
guidelines for permissible “reasonable” and “necessary” travel
reimbursements; and
! prohibit all gifts to Members of Congress and staff.
On December 16, 2005, Senators John McCain and Representative Christopher
Shays introduced the Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005 (S.
2128, H.R. 4575). The measures propose to increase the disclosure requirements on
lobbyists, such as mandating new information on campaign contributions and gifts
to Members of Congress, and adding new restrictions on privately funded travel by
and gifts to Members of Congress. Specifically, the bills would
! increase the frequency of the lobbying disclosures required by the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and require electronic filings;
! require a free public Internet database on the Internet of lobbying
registrations required by the 1995 Act;
! require registered lobbyists to disclose all past executive and
legislative branch employment;
! mandate disclosure of grassroots activities by paid lobbyists;
! require lobbyists to disclose campaign contributions to each federal
candidate or officeholder, leadership PAC, or political party
committee;
! require lobbyists to disclose information on covered legislative or
executive branch officials for whom they provided reimbursements
for travel connected to the individuals’ duties of office;
! require lobbyists to report gifts in excess of $20 given to covered
legislative and executive branch officials;
! require more detailed information on travel taken by Members of
Congress and staff as well as full payment and disclosure of charter
airplane flights taken;

---

CRS-6
! mandate the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and
the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to devise and develop, as
needed, guidelines on reasonable expenses for official travel;
! require that executive and legislative branch officials value tickets
received to sporting and entertainments events at the highest cost of
a ticket for such an event; and
! if there is a potential conflict, require disclosure by Members of
Congress of future employment negotiations.
Other Proposals
In addition to the legislation introduced thus far in the 109th Congress, recent
articles indicate congressional interest in changing the rules under which Members
accept gifts and officially connected travel from outside sources. On January 8,
2006, Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert stated that “the House will move soon
to tighten the rules governing lobbyists access to lawmakers.”15 A few days later, it
was reported that House Republicans working on revisions of the congressional gift
and travel rules are considering a total ban on privately funded travel.16 Critics of the
proposal point out, however, that banning such travel would eliminate legitimate
educational opportunities; and some have pointed out that such a rule would need
strict enforcement to work.17
Other proposals mentioned include requiring Members of the House to secure
approval in advance of privately sponsored, officially connected trips.18 Currently,
only House and Senate employees must receive advance, written authorization for
such travel from the Member or officer under whose direct supervision they work.19
In addition, Members, officers, and employees are required to give a full disclosure
(including dates, itinerary, expenses, and sponsors) to the Clerk of the House or the
Secretary of the Senate within 30 days after completion of the travel.20
15 Jonathan Weisman, “Hastert Moves to Tighten Rules on Lobbyists,” Washington Post,
Jan. 9, 2006, p. A2; and Susan Ferrechio, Scandals Churn Up Strong Winds Behinf Efforts
to Rewrite Lobbying Rules,” CQ Today, Jan. 9, 2005, pp. 3, 6.
16 Carl Hulse, “House G.O.P. Considers Ban on Lobby-Paid Travel,” New York Times, Jan.
11, 2006, p. A20; and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, “Hill Weighs Curbs on Lobbying,” Washington
Post, Jan. 12, 2006, p. A4.
17 National Journal’s CongressDailyPM, [http://nationaljournal.com/pubs/congressdaily],
visited Jan. 11, 2006, and David Skaggs, Good Vs. Bad Travel, Washington Post, Jan. 13,
2006, p. A23.
18 Mike Allen, “House GOP to Consider Tougher Lobbying Rules,” Washington Post, May
5, 2005, p. A10; and Mike Allen, “House GOP Weighs Preapproval of Sponsored Travel,”
Washington Post, May 11, 2005, p. A5.
19 House Rule XXV, Clause 5(b)(1)(A)(i); Senate Rule XXXV, Clause 2(a)(1)(A).
20 House Rule XXV, Clause 5(b)(1)(A)(ii); Senate Rule XXXV, Clause 2(a)(1)(B).

---

CRS-7
In July 2005, Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert asked the House
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to devise a new system to review
privately funded travel by Members and staff and to create a formal “approval
system” for congressional travel paid for by corporations, nonprofit, groups, and
trade associations.”21 In response, Representative Alan Mollohan, ranking member
of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, asserted that “the
committee already has a system in place to vet privately funded trips;”22 however, he
stressed the continued need for the Ethics Committee to educate Members and staff
on the House rules of conduct and to encourage them to seek advice from the
committee when they receive an invitation.23 In December 2005, Speaker Hastert
suggested new ethics training for Members of the House.24
In December 2005, Representatives David Obey, Barney Frank, Tom Allen, and
David Price “unveiled” a proposed reform package for the 110th Congress.25 Included
were proposed rules that would prohibit lobbyists from paying for or arranging
congressional travel. In addition, Members, officers, and employees of the House
“would be prohibited from accepting officially connected travel or lodging
reimbursements unless they obtained a declaration from the sponsor that no lobbyists
were participating in the trip and that the sponsor does not employ or contract for the
services of a lobbyist.”26
Finally, other reported recent actions include those of Representative Robert
Ney, chairman of the House Administration Committee, who directed the Clerk of
the House to develop an electronic system for travel and honoraria reports, which
currently are filed only on paper.27
21 John Bresnahan, “Hastert Asks for Travel Review, Roll Call, July 28, 2005, pp. 1, 22.
22 John Bresnahan, “Mollohan Brushes Off Request for New Travel System,” Roll Call,
[http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1breakingnews/10257-1.html], visited Aug. 2, 2005.
23 Ibid.
24 Carl Hulse, “House Speaker Suggests New Ethics Training for Lawmakers,” New York
Times, December 8, 2005, p. A27.
25 Jennifer Yachim, “Quartet Offers New House Rules,” Roll Call, Dec. 6, 2005, pp. 1, 19.
26 “Proposals to Overhaul Lobbying Practices,” CQ Today, Jan. 9, 2006, p. 6.
27 Kate Ackley, “Ney Orders House to Go Digital on Disclosure Forms,” Roll Call, June 30,
2005, pp. 3, 23.

---