Thank you, Madam Chair.
I must confess that I am not a lawyer, but I think some clarity that the services of an intern participating in a non-partisan program would not be considered a gift would be helpful. There could be a separate space created in the conflict of interest code for such items.
Again, I cannot say that all programs have operated with equal effort to ensure that interns are not placed in awkward situations. There have been programs in the past, and I can provide further research to the committee, where interns were expected to advance particular interests.