[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 373 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 373

Expressing the sense of Congress that any Presidential candidate should 
 be permitted to participate in debates among candidates if at least 5 
percent of respondents in national public opinion polls of all eligible 
voters support the candidate's election for President or if a majority 
 of respondents in such polls support the candidate's participation in 
                             such debates.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 18, 2000

Mr. Jackson of Illinois submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that any Presidential candidate should 
 be permitted to participate in debates among candidates if at least 5 
percent of respondents in national public opinion polls of all eligible 
voters support the candidate's election for President or if a majority 
 of respondents in such polls support the candidate's participation in 
                             such debates.

Whereas there is increasing public concern over the rising dominance of private 
        wealth and corporate soft money in our elections and the corresponding 
        decline in the quantity and quality of political participation by 
        citizens;
Whereas the private Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) will require 
        presidential candidates to post a level of support of at least 15 
        percent in national public opinion polls before they may join the 
        debates, a requirement which is deeply problematic;
Whereas the CPD places the cart before the horse by basing the exclusion of 
        outsider candidates on the preferences of a public who has not yet seen 
        or heard from these candidates in a debate, while at the same time many 
        voters will still be uncommitted to a single candidate at the time of 
        the debates;
Whereas the 15 percent rule is both arbitrary and too high, and there is no 
        basis in law for the 15 percent threshold;
Whereas the American people do not agree with the CPD, as revealed in a poll 
        which said that a majority of Americans believe that the CPD's 15 
        percent threshold is inappropriate;
Whereas polls often underestimate the role of independents because polling firms 
        regularly base their opinion surveys on ``likely voters'' as determined 
        by past voting practice, and such determinations ignore the possibility 
        that the debates may, in fact, create new likely voters;
Whereas general election debates serve a greater purpose for voters than merely 
        contrasting the two candidates who stand the best chance of winning the 
        presidency;
Whereas general election debates also can provide meaningful political 
        discourse, advance and crystallize the ideas and issues which are 
        important to the American public, and force the candidates to address 
        the issues about which Americans care most deeply;
Whereas the debates should be an opportunity for voters to see a serious 
        discussion among the candidates from whom they wish to hear and about 
        issues they care to hear discussed, not just among the candidates they 
        may choose to vote for;
Whereas voters should have an opportunity to hear candidates before they decide 
        whom they will support;
Whereas the public will get the benefit of a candidate's views which are 
        important to the political dialogue even if that candidate does not have 
        enough support to win the presidency;
Whereas a 5 percent level of support is based in Federal election law, mirroring 
        the 5 percent level of support required for eligibility for Federal 
        campaign funding;
Whereas while past electoral performance should not be the sole criteria for 
        guaranteeing debate participation, deference is due to the only national 
        legislative standard regarding candidate seriousness; and
Whereas the criteria which should be used to determine participation in debates 
        should be those which respect the opinion of the entire electorate, and 
        a criterion based on the opinions of all eligible voters (not just those 
        deemed by a pollster to be likely to vote) will allow for voices 
        representing all potential voters to be heard and will recognize the 
        possibility that the debates can have an important impact on who chooses 
        to go to the polls in November: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that any Presidential candidate should 
be permitted to participate in debates among candidates if--
            (1) at least 5 percent of respondents in national public 
        opinion polls of all eligible voters support the candidate's 
        election for President; or
            (2) if a majority of respondents in such polls support the 
        candidate's participation in such debates.
                                 <all>