[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 31 (Thursday, March 19, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E432]
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, March 19, 1998

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, next week this body will consider campaign 
finance reform. After a year and a half of work on this issue, by 
myself and many other members of Congress, I am hopeful that the result 
of our work is a meaningful bill that gets the big money out of the 
electoral process. I am afraid, however, that we may not see true 
reform.
  An editorial in Saturday's New York Times may have foreshadowed the 
result of next week. ``In order to quell a rebellion by Democrats and 
reform-minded Republicans, House Speaker Newt Gingrich promised that 
there would be a vote by the end of March on campaign finance reform. 
Now that the deadline is approaching, Mr. Gingrich is working hard to 
make sure the vote is rigged to come out the way he wants.''
  Mr. Speaker, I hope the New York Times is wrong. I hope that next 
week you will respond to the call of the public to fix our broken 
campaign finance system. I hope that next week we will finally have a 
chance to deliver true reform of our system and restore the public's 
faith in our democracy. Mr. Speaker, please don't let the people of my 
district down.

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