Gift Graft
By Ralph Nader
Next week will test once again just how serious the new Republican Congress is about cleaning
up Washington. The issue is whether to ban a particularly lurid form of graft: lavish dining and
golf, ski, or tennis trips and other vacations given by corporate and wealthy interests to members
of Congress.
Last fall, Republicans campaigned hard against what they called the corrupt Democratic
Congress. Now they have a choice: they can either clean up the Democrats' trough, or they can
plunge into it themselves. Regrettably, it looks like they are going to do the latter.
Legislative graft has a long history in America. To this day, many members of Congress avail
themselves of a swank and luxurious lifestyle filled with Epicurean meals and posh vacations
paid for by special interest lobbyists who are seeking legislative favors. This is one way
lobbyists work their influence on votes, and how the hidden income of members of Congress
swells to a capacity limited only by greed and the size of the human stomach.
Fortunately, such ill-gotten-gains are under threat of extinction; stringent legislation prohibiting
these corrupting gifts of meals and vacations is expected to come to the Senate floor as early as
Monday, July 24.
Not that the Senate graft caucus will let their corruptive perks be abolished without a fight. Their
delight in things luxurious was best explained by former Louisiana Governor Richard Leche, just
before he was imprisoned for corruption in the 1930's. Leche said "When I took the oath of
Governor, I didn't take any vows of poverty." That sentiment is still much revered and cherished
on Capitol Hill. Many of today's members of Congress believe that their $133,600 per year
annual salaries, along with generous pensions, perquisites, and gifts is just not enough lucre for
their overstuffed Congressional wallets.
And so, Senator J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA), during the debate on gift reform last year, asked
Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN): "Do you say you should not go to the symphony ball,
ambassador ball, National Guard, the opera ball, what have you?" Wellstone replied, "I would
say you can go to any opera you want to; you pay for it. Just like the regular people pay for it
when they go to the opera. It's that simple."
Gearing up to defend these loophole-ridden, permissive gift rules is Senator Mitch McConnell
(R-KY), who has introduced so-called gift reform legislation that ought to be titled the "Save Our
Perks Act of 1995." McConnell's bill places no limit on gifts and meals that a lobbyist or anyone
else can give a Senator, provided that no single gift or meal is worth more than $100. And even
worse, the bill doesn't even forbid lobbyists or others from handing out golf, ski, or tennis trips
and vacations to members of Congress. Like the two-day tennis vacation Senators John Breaux
(D-LA) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) took to Boca Raton last year, courtesy of U.S. Tobacco
(UST). Or last year's three-day golf trip for Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) at Pebble Beach,
provided by AT&T. Or the three days Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) spent in Palm Springs,
courtesy of U.S. Telephone.
The real Senate champions of gift reform are Senators Carl Levin (D-MI), Paul Wellstone, William Cohen (R-ME), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and John McCain (R-AZ). Their bill, S. 101, would prohibit members of Congress and Confessional staff from accepting:
This legislation needs your support. Gift graft won't be banned from Washington without a boost from citizens who demand a change in the corrupting Congressional gift rules. So give your Senators a call today. Tell them that you support strict Congressional gift reform, and S. 101. The Congressional switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121.