[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM IS LONG OVERDUE--THE SAN MATEO COUNTY TIMES 
                URGES ACTION TO STRENGTHEN OUR DEMOCRACY

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, no issue affects the future of our 
democratic political system to a greater extent than does campaign 
finance reform. The infusion of unregulated dollars to political 
parties and officeholders has reached record levels in the past few 
years, making elections more and more the province of wealthy 
candidates and special interests. This development can only serve to 
increase cynicism and limit political participation among our nation's 
individual citizens. I strongly believe that we have a civic duty to 
take action to reverse this dangerous trend.
  For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original co-sponsor 
of H.R. 417, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 1999. I have also 
signed the discharge petition now pending before the House, in order to 
bring this important legislation up for consideration despite the 
opposition of some of the leaders of this body. This legislation, known 
popularly as the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill, unites a 
broad coalition of Democrats and Republicans who share the conviction 
that we must act firmly and swiftly to prevent elections from becoming 
out-of-control auctions.
  H.R. 417 would ban unregulated ``soft money'' contributions to 
national and state political parties, abolishing once and for all this 
unfortunate loophole. It would also impose restrictions on the 
broadcast of so-called ``independent expenditure'' issue ads by third-
parties, add requirements for the full disclosure of campaign 
contributions, limit political party assistance to wealthy candidates 
who spend millions of dollars of their own personal fortunes on 
political campaigns, and institute several other vital improvements to 
our method of electing congressional officeholders.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and in 
signing the discharge petition that is necessary to bring it before the 
House of Representatives,
  On April 16, 1999, the highly-respected San Mateo County Times 
newspaper in San Mateo, California, published a thoughtful editorial on 
this important issue entitled ``Campaign Finance Reform Is Long 
Overdue.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to read this excellent 
editorial and consider the consequences of failing to defend the 
integrity of our system of campaigns and elections. I ask that this 
editorial be placed in the Record.

            [From the San Mateo County Times, Apr. 16, 1999]

                Campaign Finance Reform is Long Overdue

       The majority of Americans favors campaign finance reform, 
     which remains a crucial issue even if its breathing often 
     labored. Paradoxically, few legislators appear to like reform 
     well enough to see it through to passage. And some large 
     corporations, which endorse the need for reform, still play 
     by the old rules.
       Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., promised to 
     work in a bipartisan manner on issue of concern to the 
     average American, but he has told the press that campaign 
     finance reform is not a legislative priority. The House will 
     concentrate instead on what he calls the ``really important 
     issues,'' including Social Security, health care, tax policy 
     and education. These are undoubtedly key issues on the 
     legislative agenda, but the back-burner approach to the 
     bipartisan Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill is 
     irritating the American public.
       ``The Washington influence money game will continue and 
     will distort the legislative policy on these very issues,'' 
     reports Common Cause, which lobbies for tighter campaign 
     finance rules. ``The Speaker's failure to understand the need 
     for reform as a prerequisite to congressional action on these 
     important issues is to deny how Washington really works.''
       The passage of Shays-Meehan would mean the end of the 
     corrupt soft-money system that permits wealthy individuals, 
     labor unions and corporations to give millions of dollars in 
     unregulated campaign contributions to the political parties 
     to buy influence and access in Congress and the White House. 
     The bill would also require special-interest groups to pay 
     for campaign advertisements masquerading as impartial ``issue 
     discussions'' with money raised according to federal campaign 
     finance laws.
       A federal economic panel--composed of businessmen--recently 
     released a report recommending that soft money should be 
     outlawed. ``The public cannot help but believe that these 
     donors enjoy special influence and receive special favors,'' 
     the report said. ``The suspicion of corruption deepens public 
     cynicism and diminishes public confidence in government. 
     ``More important, these activities raise the likelihood of 
     actual corruption.''
       The panel co-chairman, who is also the chairman and chief 
     executive of his firm, concluded at a news conference. ``Bad 
     government is bad business.'' He later told a reporter: 
     ``Until I understood the depth of the problem, I was like a 
     lot of Americans: I don't think I cared too much.'' This 
     executive's accounting and consulting firm, as reported in 
     The New York Times, was quick to repudiate its own leader by 
     issuing a statement saying the chairman's opinions were ``his 
     personal views and do not necessarily represent the views'' 
     of his company.
       A review of Election Commission records shows that three 
     large American corporations, which announced they would swear 
     off soft money donations in 1997, have fallen off the wagon. 
     Only the Monsanto Company, which donated $75,000 in 1995 and 
     '96, has given no soft money since then.
       Speaker Hastert has failed to schedule Shays-Meehan for 
     floor action this spiring despite the passage of an earlier 
     bill in the House. A later filibuster in the Senate killed 
     it. We urge prompt attention and passage of Shays-Meehan as 
     we have urged in the past. A campaign finance reform law is 
     needed right now.
       Why must the public always assume the obligation to wake up 
     its own elected officials?

     

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