[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 65 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 65

 To express the sense of the Senate on consideration of comprehensive 
                        campaign finance reform.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 18, 1997

    Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Dorgan) submitted the following 
     resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To express the sense of the Senate on consideration of comprehensive 
                        campaign finance reform.

Whereas spending on Federal election campaigns has increased to an estimated 
        $2.65 billion in the most recent election cycle, a threefold increase 
        over campaign spending just twenty years ago, even after adjusting for 
        inflation;
Whereas, in the 1995-1996 election cycle, the Democratic Party committees raised 
        $332 million, a 73-percent increase over the $192 million raised four 
        years earlier, and the Republican party committees raised $549 million, 
        a 74-percent increase over the $316 million they raised four years 
        earlier;
Whereas overall campaign spending for congressional races has risen from $99 
        million in 1976 to $626 million in 1996, a more than sixfold increase;
Whereas, since 1992, when political parties were first required to report soft 
        money contributions to the Federal Election Commission, these 
        contributions, which are raised outside Federal election law, have 
        tripled, from $86 million in 1992 to over $263 million in the last 
        election cycle;
Whereas there has been a proliferation of negative ``issue'' ads paid for by 
        political parties and interest groups to influence Federal elections, 
        further increasing the cost of campaigns;
Whereas as political campaigns have become longer, costlier and more negative, 
        voter apathy has increased and voter participation in Presidential 
        elections has declined from 60 percent in 1948-1968, to 53 percent from 
        1972-1992, to an all-time low of 49 percent in 1996;
Whereas these trends will continue if Congress fails to enact comprehensive 
        campaign finance reform;
Whereas the more than 6,700 pages of hearing records, 49 days of testimony 
        before 8 different congressional committees, 15 committee reports from 6 
        different committees and 113 Senate floor votes, constitute a sufficient 
        Senate record on campaign finance reform; and
Whereas campaign finance reform has been filibustered in the Senate 17 times in 
        the last ten years: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the Senate should 
proceed to the consideration of comprehensive campaign finance reform 
that reduces spending on political campaigns and curtails the influence 
of special interest money in Federal elections by no later than May 31, 
1997, and adopt as a goal the final enactment of such legislation by no 
later than July 4, 1997.
                                 <all>