Salt of the Earth: In sessionFebruary 2001

In session
February 2001

The return of campaign finance reform
Catholic lobbies check if Bush is in their league
Will Bush's education plan make the grade?

The return of campaign finance reform
It's ba-ack! The debate over campaign finance reform is back for a rematch on the Senate floor, and this round promises to be no less-hard fought than it predecessors.

Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), introduced the latest incarnation of their reform bill to the Senate on January 22. This version provides for:

A ban on soft money, or unlimited contributions, to political parties from corporations, unions, and individuals.
A prohibition, termed the Snowe-Jeffords provision, on corporate and union spending for ads that mention federal candidates within 60 days of an election. The provision also requires advertisers to disclose the amount of money spent on ads and the individual donors who pay for them.
A provision to refund non-union employees a percentage of the fees they pay to unions, if those fees are used for political activities apart from collective bargaining.
A strict ban on contributions from foreign nationals and political fundraising on federal property.
A prohibition on candidates allocating campaign funds for their personal use.
A clearer set of guidelines that detail when spending by outside groups or individuals will be considered coordinated with candidates.

This time Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), a past opponent of the bills offered by McCain and Feingold, has joined forces with the duo and lent his name to campaign finance reform's new edition—The McCain-Feingold-Cochran campaign reform bill.

Cochran said the recent election prompted his change of heart. "I just think that the whole system has become overwhelmed by organizations which use enormous sums of money to influence campaigns," Cochran said at a press conference revealing his support of the bill. "Maybe that's protected under the freedom of speech clause, but I think we can require disclosure, and some limitations can be imposed."

While Cochran admitted there are aspects of the bill he doesn't "find all that attractive," he said he is very impressed with the Snowe-Jeffords provision and wants to start debate on the details soon.

Not everyone shares his enthusiasm. It took days of negotiations for McCain to secure an agreement from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) to bring the new bill to debate by late March.

Some senators would have been happier if Lott had tabled it until fall. In addition to opposing its provisions, many think it will draw attention away from President Bush's congressional agenda.

"Clearly we have other priorities at this very moment, including education, including prescription drugs, faith-based, providing tax cutting," said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.

President Bush also disagrees with specific provisions of the bill. Bush would support a ban on soft money from organizations but not from individuals. He believes individuals have a constitutionally protected right to give.

Bush has also called for a "paycheck protection provision" that would let union members stop their leaders from donating their dues to political causes they oppose. Democrats argue the provision is anti-labor and a political move to benefit Republicans.

The National Right to Life Committee opposes aspects of the legislation as well. "There are numerous provisions that would restrict groups like ours from communicating with the public about politicians and their records," Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said.

"In the primaries Senator McCain said he had changed his mind about the First Amendment issues and had dropped restrictions on issue advocacy," Johnson said. "All that has gone down the memory hole, though. This new bill has it all back."

Despite such opposition, the reform bill might do well in the Senate. McCain claims he now has 60 votes for the legislation, which would allow him to defeat a filibuster. His increased support is due in part to the November reelection losses of several former opponents. Democrats who favor the bill now hold those seats.

Sister Anne Curtis, a lobbyist for the Washington D.C. Catholic advocacy group Network , hopes the Senate does pass the legislation. "From our perspective, as long as there are all the loopholes allowing big money donations from special interests and major corporations, there will be no space for the people we are concerned about—the poor," Curtis said.—Anne Graber

More info:
Campaign Finance Information Center
Common Cause
Federal Election Commisssion
Follow the Money (PBS series)
Mother Jones' Coin-operated Congress
Washington Post (series on reform)

Back to page top

Back to page top