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Order Code RS22317
November 8, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Congressional Gifts and Travel, Legislative
Proposals for the 109th Congress
Mildred Amer
Specialist in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
It has been nearly a decade since the House and Senate have 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. This report provides an analysis of
proposals for change introduced or discussed in the 109th Congress, and will be updated
as events warrant.
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.! 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.
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 Expensesfrom Private Sources
Under House and Senate Ethics Rules, by Jack Maskell. See also U.S. Congress, Senate Select
Conmmittee 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 [http://ethics.senate.gov], under Recent
Updates& Notices as well as under Ethics Manual. See also U.S. Congress, House Committee
on Standards of Official Conduct, Rule of the House ofRepresentatives on Gifts and Travel, 106th
Cong., 2 d sess., Apr. 2000, as well as the website of the House Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct, available at [http://www.house.gov/ethics/Gifts-andTravel-Chapter.htm] and
[http://www.house.gov/ethics/Highlights2005a.htm].
Congressional Research Service +o The Library of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/crsmthabdrj0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)