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In session: legislative update October 1999 The return of the son of Campaign Finance Reform It may not be the number one issue on your mind, but it colors the way every issue you do care about is handled. It's the campaign finance system, and this October campaign finance reform proposals will be on the table in the Senate yet again. A recent CBS poll found that campaign reform is a top priority among voters, but the public remains skeptical that politicians can change their ways. What many don't realize is that politicians have placed restrictions on campaign financing in the past. In 1907, a ban on corporate contributions to candidates went into effect, union donations were banned in 1947, and in 1973, in the wake of Watergate, a cap was placed on the amount individuals and political action groups could give candidates. In September, the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill passed in the House easily with a 252-177 vote. The bill targets soft money, those unlimited contributions that lobbyists, corporations, and unions can give national parties. The bill also zeroes in on so-called issue-advocacy advertisements (ads that may indicate a candidates' voting records on an issue but which don't directly endorse or refute a candidate, thus unencumbered by the spending caps or disclosure policies required of "hard money"). Now may be the best time to push such reform through. Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold are hoping to maintain the momentum from the House vote into the Senate debate in mid-October. Although they have made some concessions to bolster support by taking out curbs on issue advocacy ads, they have remained steadfast in their stand against soft money. So far the McCain-Feingold bill is supported by 45 Democrats and 7 Republicans, and to avoid a bill-killing filibuster, sixty votes are needed. That means the difference between the status quo and loosening the grip critics say special interest groups hold on Washington politicians could lie with as few as eight senators. It's a small margin in an issue that could have a big impact on they way Americans view campaigns and their own influence in the political process.—Maria Hickey For more information:         Common Cause         "Government for hire," from U.S. Catholic, July 1999. For information on how current campaign finance laws affect the way congressional members address important issues: Benton Foundation site on campaign finance reform. The School of Americas . . . it's back On September 22, the House Foreign Operations Appropriations conference committee voted 8-7 to reject funding cuts to the School of Americas (SOA). This move effectively nullifies the July House vote to cut SOA funding, and it also means that the Senate conferees will not take up the issue of the SOA this year. This vote does not affect HR732 and S873, the House and Senate bills that call for the outright closing of the SOA. Opponents of the SOA have another year to gather enough co-sponsors to bring these bills to a vote. In Chicago, the 8th Day Center for Peace and Justice encourages citizens to ask their congressional representatives to co-sponsor the legislation calling for the closure of the school. If you do not know the names of your Representatives or Senators or if you want to find their e-mail, visit: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ziptoit.html. For more information about the SOA, visit the SOA Watch. Salt news | In session | Message Pad | Stat house | Salt links | Idea exchange Self-help zone | Salt shakers | Salt archives | Talk to us | Salt search | Back to main