[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 15, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                             LIMITS ON PACS

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                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 15, 1994

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, Massachusetts today made law a campaign 
finance bill that limits gubernatorial candidates to $150,000 in PAC 
money, with no more than $500 from any single PAC. If lawmakers in 
Massachusetts can agree to these limits, candidates for Congress could 
certainly run robust campaigns with an overall PAC limit of no more 
than $200,000--as provided in the House bill--and a single-PAC limit of 
$1,000 or less.
  The Massachusetts bill applies to races for Governor in a State with 
almost 6 million people and five major media markets. Candidates for 
Congress typically face a far less daunting challenge in communicating 
with voters, and they would have far more freedom to raise money from 
PACs even after cutting the current $5,000 cap by four-fifths or more.
  I do not accept PAC donations campaigns, and I think reducing the 
size of each PAC contribution would be healthy for the political 
process, not to mention extremely helpful in getting a campaign finance 
bill passed into law. President Clinton campaigned on a specific 
promise to lower the PAC limit, and Congress ought to follow through by 
helping him live up to that pledge.

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