[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 108 (Tuesday, August 4, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  (Mr. FARR of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to point out that last 
night we had quite a victory in this House on campaign finance reform. 
We had a victory on an amendment, a small step. It is not the answer. 
The answer is comprehensive campaign reform. People fail to realize 
that in the elections last time, running for this seat in the House of 
Representatives cost over half a billion dollars for all the 
candidates. That was what was reported, because there are a lot of ads 
done by independent agencies that are not reported.
  So, Mr. Speaker, if we are going to have meaningful campaign finance 
reform, we are going to have to put limits on what candidates can 
spend. That amendment is up today. We are going to have a great debate 
and we are going to see whether this House can live up to what it has 
done in 1991, 1992 and 1993, when we passed comprehensive campaign 
reform that really put limits on campaigns. Shays-Meehan is a step in 
the right direction, but it is not the answer.

                          ____________________