[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 1997

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, it appears that after a long battle this House 
may be close to considering campaign finance reform. It is my hope that 
when we do that we will have a fair, bipartisan bill that contains no 
poison pills and offers real reform of the system.
  I have been working with fellow freshman Members to create such a 
bill. We agreed at the very beginning to put aside any poison pills, 
items that would automatically put one party at a competitive 
disadvantage. The result was a bill that bans soft money, increases 
candidate disclosure, and requires organizations making independent 
expenditures to reveal who they are and how much money they are 
spending. It was not an easy process, but we learned to work together 
and trust each other and in the end drafted a fair bill that will make 
a real difference in the system.
  There may be a great temptation to kill a reform bill with partisan 
amendments. I hope that we can avoid that fate. The only way a campaign 
finance bill can become law is through bipartisan cooperation. If we 
can reject poison pills, reject partisan attacks and reject the 
temptation to pass a bill without teeth, then we can see true campaign 
finance reform for the first time since the 1970's.
  Today we are at a crucial time in this debate, I hope we don't blow 
it.

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