[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E689-E690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 1998

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, over the past week the debate on campaign 
finance reform has shifted, from when we will get a vote to what

[[Page E690]]

kind of reform will we actually see. The leadership has chosen the 
Bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act, H.R. 2183, as the base bill that 
will be considered on the floor. I applaud that choice. This bill was 
drafted after a fifteen month process of bipartisan give and take among 
freshmen members of Congress. I am pleased to have been an original 
member of that task force.
  The Bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act is the only bill that was 
drafted as a truly bipartisan effort to take the big money out of the 
political system. H.R. 2183 does not contain any poison pills and does 
not unfairly impact one political party over the other. This 
legislation does not go as far in changing the system as most members 
of the task force wanted, however, we all recognized that this was the 
only way campaign finance legislation could pass this year. This bill 
takes the biggest influences of money in the system out of our 
campaigns. Passage of H.R. 2183 will be a significant step forward in 
returning our elections back to the people whom we are sworn to 
represent.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend you for giving in to the pressure of the 
public and allowing a vote on campaign finance reform. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 2183, the Bipartisan 
Campaign Integrity Act.

                          ____________________