[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 44 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PRESIDENTIAL TAX CHECK-OFF

 Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to call my colleagues' 
attention to a guest editorial by a long-time friend of mine, Mr. Sam 
Shipley, which recently appeared in the Wilmington News Journal. I 
think he makes some very important points about the presidential tax 
check-off box, and I commend the article to my colleagues. I ask that 
it be printed in the Record.
  The editorial follows:

         [From the Wilmington (DE) News Journal, Mar. 11, 1998]

                    $3 Election Check-off Can Add Up

                         (By Samuel L. Shipley)

       The presidential tax check-off needs promoting by the 
     Federal Election Commission. It's been a secret to most 
     Americans. One of the most effective strategies to increase 
     taxpayer awareness would be through public service 
     announcements in the news media, particularly national 
     television.
       And there would be no better time to air them than now, 
     when Americans have their 1040 forms in hand, complete with 
     instructions on making the check-off.
       This year, the 1040 forms for 1997 taxes will allow each 
     taxpayer to check off $3 as a matching contribution to the 
     presidential campaign. This can be doubled to $6 on joint tax 
     returns, even if only one spouse is employed.
       The money from the presidential campaign check-off on Form 
     1040 is allocated equally among presidential candidates, 
     after they raise a certain amount of funds on their own.
       In the 1990s, despite a national decline in voting 
     participation, more than 100 million Americans turned out to 
     cast ballots for president. No doubt the overwhelming 
     majority of these people file annual income tax returns.
       This means that this year alone, there is the potential for 
     hundreds of millions of dollars from citizens of all walks of 
     life to be set aside for the 2000 elections.
       It has been estimated that $1 billion or more was spent on 
     the 1996 presidential election by the respective candidates 
     and their parties. If taxpaying Americans would begin using 
     the presidential campaign funding check-off this year and 
     next, federal election funds to presidential races could 
     replace a large percentage of the money that candidates see 
     fit to seek from the special interests.
       As a Delaware state Democratic Party chairman for many 
     years and participant in many national political activities 
     and campaigns, I am absolutely convinced of one point. The 
     overwhelming majority of candidates for high national office 
     do not like to go, hat in hand, asking people--particularly 
     special interests--for money. Some absolutely detest it. But 
     with the high cost of staff, organization and particularly 
     media, they see no other alternative.
       The American people have it in their hands, now more than 
     ever, to give presidential candidates the opportunity to back 
     off from special interests--if they will only use the 
     voluntary $3 tax check-off. This would go a long way to let 
     presidential contenders campaign and serve with honor and 
     dignity. This is the beginning of an answer to the cancer of 
     politics, if only the people will take a scalpel to sleazy 
     special-interest money. This could act as a catalyst to 
     pressure on Congress to overhaul campaign spending 
     practices.

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