[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 1, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today, two of our colleagues on the other 
side of the aisle, Senators Dodd and Kerrey, held a press conference 
endorsing legislation that Senator Feingold and I and Senator Thompson 
and others introduced some time ago. This follows on the heels of an 
announcement in the other body by Congresswoman Smith and Congressman 
Markey of Massachusetts and Congressman Shays of support for this 
legislation as well, including announcement by the Speaker of the House 
that hearings would begin on the issue of campaign finance reform.
  Mr. President, I welcome all of these initiatives and support. I 
believe that the issue of campaign finance reform is one that is very 
important to the American people and becomes more important almost on a 
daily basis.
  I wish to emphasize, after having been through this issue for a 
number of years, that if the issue is not bipartisan, then there will 
be no resolution to the campaign finance reform issue. And I worry 
sometimes that this legislation may tilt to one side or the other. That 
is why the Senator from Wisconsin and I have tried to maintain a 
balance as far as cosponsors are concerned.
  If there is one lesson about reform in this body, and reform in the 
way we do business not only inside the Congress but in the way we 
conduct our campaigns, it is that any reform must be done on a 
bipartisan basis. I urge my colleagues who have similar ideas--I 
understand there are at least about 40 or 50 other campaign reform 
proposals now floating around--they engage it on a bipartisan basis, in 
which I and my friend from Wisconsin would be glad to join them.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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