[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 17, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H7663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE BILL WILL BRING MASSIVE INFUSION OF MONEY 
                     TO FINANCE MEMBERS' CAMPAIGNS

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I am outraged that tomorrow the Republican 
leadership is going to bring up a campaign finance bill that will 
essentially allow a massive infusion of money from wealthy individuals 
and special interests to finance our congressional campaigns.
  Speaker Gingrich has said over and over again that there should be 
more money in politics, not less. He is quoted as saying that one of 
the greatest myths of modern politics is that ``Campaigns are too 
expensive. The political process in fact is underfunded. It is not 
overfunded. I would emphasize far more money in the political 
process.''
  That is where we are. Under the guise of campaign finance reform, we 
are going to get a bill that allows the wealthy and the special 
interests to contribute even more. The public interest groups 
unanimously have come out opposed to this campaign finance bill 
tomorrow. The New York Times today says it is obscene, essentially, in 
their editorial.
  Even my fellow Republicans, rational in some cases, have come forward 
with a Dear Colleague letter they sent to their other Republican 
colleagues saying this is a travesty, and that this campaign finance 
bill should not pass.
  I hope we listen to that on both sides of the aisle.

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