CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM OPPONENTS RAIL AGAINST BILLS
Campaign finance reform opponents railed against proposed restrictions on advocacy broadcast ads at Tues. hearing by House Judiciary Committee’s Constitution Subcommittee, but remained divided on how to address “big money’s” influence on legislative process. Chmn. Chabot (R-O.) held hearing to assess how bill (S- 27) by Sens. McCain and Feingold (D-Wis.) might undermine First Amendment rights. ACLU Pres. Nadine Strossen said she shared Chabot’s concern that McCain-Feingold could “egregiously” violate free speech rights of advocacy groups by restricting their ability to buy air time. However, Chabot wasn’t receptive to Strossen’s proposal to finance federal campaigns publicly, measure she said would solve constitutional questions.
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“Constructing a system of public financing will be a complicated task,” Strossen said. “But it is the right path for Congress to travel. The road we continue to travel, the road of limits on contributions and expenditures, is full of constitutional land mines and is inherently unfair.” Chabot said he would “vehemently disagree” that public financing was solution.
Subcommittee focused on provision in McCain-Feingold as passed by Senate that would restrict groups from mentioning political candidates in issue advocacy ads. Such “electioneering communications” would be barred in 60 days before primary and 30 days before general election. Similar provisions in House bill (HR-380) by Reps. Shays (R-Ct.) and Meehan (D-Mass.) came under fire.
Rep. Nadler (D-N.Y.) criticized members who supported what he said were unconstitutional attempts to criminalize flag desecration but also opposed campaign finance reform. While Congress fights to preserve flow of large sums of money to federal candidates, U.S. lectures world on how to develop effective govt., he said: “It is genuine embarrassment. We should not live in a society where those with the largest number of dollars are able to control the political debate.”
Rep. Conyers (D-Mich.) said McCain-Feingold “represents a balanced approach” to campaign finance reform. “Money talks too loud and Congress refuses to act,” Conyers said. McCain-Feingold and Shays-Meehan aren’t “over-broad,” he said, and he warned members against “big money” supporters that would use “phony constitutional arguments” to kill bills: “Members of Congress do not need to leave their common sense at the front door.”