[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 132 (Monday, September 29, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8117-H8118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 URGING CONSERVATIVE COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT MEANINGFUL CAMPAIGN FINANCE 
                                 REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arkansas [Mr. Hutchinson] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge support of my 
colleagues for campaign finance reform. I want to recognize the remarks 
made by my friend, the gentleman from Arkansas [Mr. Snyder], who is a 
cosponsor of the Freshman Bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act, which we 
are trying to move

[[Page H8118]]

forward in this body. I want to particularly make reference to it for a 
few moments today to urge my colleagues, and particularly my 
conservative colleagues, to consider campaign finance reform.
  I do not believe that campaign finance reform particularly is of any 
ideological persuasion, but I think the conservatives have been more 
reluctant, for various reasons, to join the effort to reform our 
campaign finance system. I think they can join the effort.
  First of all, I am a conservative. I am very much in support of, as a 
former State party chairman, reforming our campaign system. If we look 
at the campaign finance reform ideas out on the table, we first have to 
acknowledge that there are some bad ideas out there. There are some 
ideas that I would not support, but then there are some other ideas for 
reform that are consistent with conservative principles.
  I would not support, for instance, public funding of primaries. I 
would not support mandatory spending limits. But I do support reforms 
that stop the abuses of soft money, and I think that is what we need to 
address.
  I have sponsored, along with the gentleman from Maine, Mr. Tom Allen, 
across the aisle, the Bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act of 1997. It is 
a good bill that bans soft money, that increases disclosure to the 
American public of what is being spent. In addition, it helps the 
parties in reference to raising hard money, the honest money. It 
empowers individuals and slows down the influence of special interest 
groups. So it is a good bill and it is based upon conservative 
principles.
  In addition to the gentleman from Maine, Mr. Tom Allen, and myself 
sponsoring this, we have numerous other Members. In fact, we have one 
of the leading bills for cosponsorship from both sides of the aisle. 
That is why it is of a bipartisan nature. When I look at conservative 
principles I think of the free market system, I think of individual 
liberty, I think of smaller government, and I think of a strong 
defense. This bill really helps us to move in all of those things.
  When we look at a free market, we have a free market system because 
we are able to control monopolies, and say monopolies cannot work 
because they infringe upon the free market system. Yet, we look at the 
free market system of ideas and they are being infringed upon by the 
international corporations that have such an undue influence on our 
political system.
  So this bill levels the playing field, creates really a free market 
out there, empowers individuals. It encourages individual liberty by 
empowering individuals. It emphasizes those people who work at the 
grass roots rather than those people who simply try to generate gross 
profits. That empowers individuals.
  Why does it encourage smaller government? Because if we do not act 
for reform now, the call for public funding of our campaigns will grow 
and grow. We do not need the Government involved. We need to stop the 
abuse with campaign finance reform now.
  Finally, a strong defense, if we can stop the foreign influence, and 
it will be reduced if we can eliminate the loophole of soft money.
  For all of these reasons, the bill, the Bipartisan Campaign Integrity 
Act, is solid. It is based upon conservative principles. It will stop 
the abuses, and when I talk across this country, people of all 
ideological persuasions understand the need for honest, legitimate 
reform.
  That is why I urge my colleagues to support this. Whether they call 
themselves a liberal, whether they call themselves a conservative, or 
whether they call themselves a moderate, this is reform that the 
American public demands across the aisle. Our bill is consistent with 
conservative principles. I urge my colleagues to support it.

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