Issue Position: Government Reform - Gift Ban

Issue Position

Issue Position: Government Reform - Gift Ban

Upon arrival in our nation's Capitol, I decided my office would abide by the Wisconsin Code of Ethics for Public Officials and Employees and the same ethical rules that I had lived under as a member of the Wisconsin Senate. Therefore, I have a strict no gifts policy for myself and my staff.

But the gift rules of the United States Senate when I began my term were very lenient. And the image of the Senate as a place where Senators and staff are wined and dined on a daily basis and took fancy ski or golf vacations paid for by corporate lobbyists was very disturbing to me. In 1995, I led an effort to reform the Senate gift rules. Now, even though the rules still allow for more gifts and travel than allowed by my personal office policy, the days of unlimited gifts in the Senate are over.

My Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act S.1398, includes a number of improvements to the Senate gift rules, including a complete ban on gifts from lobbyists. Read my Congressional Record Statement on my bill here.

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