[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 135 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1904]
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

                      Tuesday, September 30, 1997

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues in the Republican Party have 
continued to argue that they oppose campaign finance reform because we 
first need to investigate the abuses by the White House during the last 
campaign. While I fully support the airing of the abuses that may have 
taken place in 1996, I do not accept the excuse that we cannot act on 
changing the system until the Republican investigations are concluded.
  The reality is that much of the abuses of the system in 1996 were 
technically legal. Parties are allowed to raise soft money, intended 
for party building activities, without any limits and with very little 
accountability. It is the completely legal soft money contributions of 
hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars that are corrupting 
the political system.
  Furthermore, the hearings are not covering every abuse of the current 
system. One such example is the multibillion-dollar tax break given to 
the tobacco industry during the balanced budget agreement. In that 
agreement, the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate 
inserted a $50 billion tax break for the tobacco industry. Campaign 
contributions of more than $1.9 million to the Republican Party over 
the past 18 months, all legal under the current system, bought the 
tobacco industry a multibillion-dollar tax break. Yet no one is 
investigating that issue.
  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we vigorously investigate 
possible violations of the law, by both political parties, during the 
1996 election cycle. However, we should not use that as an excuse to 
delay making real changes to the campaign finance system as soon as 
possible. The time to act is now, we can no longer accept no as an 
answer.

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