Issue Position: Campaign Finance Reform

Issue Position

What's Wrong With Washington?

One of my professors once told me, if you want to know how things get done, follow the money. Nowhere has that concept served me better than in Washington, where the money chase and its corrosive impact on public service becomes more and more pervasive every election cycle.

Too much money is being spent on campaigns, paid advertising has become too big a factor in elections, campaigns are too long, and the public is losing trust in our political system. An estimated $540 million was spent on all elections in the U.S. in 1976 -- but by 1992, the amount spent had grown to $3 billion, an increase of nearly 600 percent.

In spite of appeals from citizens for campaign finance reform and assurances from Congressional leaders to pass such reform, progress is not being made. Meanwhile, too many of our nation's elected representatives spend too little time doing the people's business, and too much time raising campaign funds. To ensure that our government is truly "of the people, for the people, and by the people," we must end the current practice of allowing elections to be bought by the highest bidder and enact real campaign finance reform.

My Legislation:

H. Con. Res. 6 : Expresses the sense of Congrss that the Supreme Court Decision Buckley v. Valeo failed to recognize:

(1) that the unlimited spending of large amounts of money on elections has a corrosive effect on the electoral process not simply because of direct transactions between those who give large amounts of money and candidates and elected officials but because the presence of unlimited amounts of money corrupts the process on a more fundamental level; and

(2) other legitimate state interests which justify limiting money in campaigns, including the need to preserve the integrity of our republican form of government, restore public confidence in government, and ensure all citizens a more equal opportunity to participate in the political process.

H. J. Res. 5 : A Constitutional Amendment that would declare:

(1) that Congress shall have power to set limits on the amount of contributions that may be accepted by, and the amount of expenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate for nomination or election to federal office; and

(2) that a state shall have the power to set limits on the amount of contributions that may be accepted by, and the amount of expenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate for nomination or election to state or local office.

Other suggestions include:

* Provide fair media access to all with legislation to provide free air time for candidates who agree to spending limits
* Eliminate anonymous advertising and spending that masks the identity of those who seek to affect the outcome of an election
* Announce all contributors via the Internet electronically within three days of all campaign contributions
* Negate negative advertising and demand full accountability of all third parties that attempt to influence elections on behalf of candidates
* Unleash the Federal Elections Commission to more vigorously investigate and stiffen penalties for campaign finance law violations

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