[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, every Member of Congress knows firsthand 
the control that money has over our electoral process, and what is 
worse, the American people know firsthand the control that money has 
over our electoral process.
  The money spent on last November's election totaled $1 billion. This 
is an outrageous sum that hurts our democracy and it hurts our 
constituents. If voters are disgusted and turned off by the excesses in 
campaign financing they will not vote, and make no mistake, voters are 
disgusted. They are turned off and they are not voting.
  Our constituents deserve better. The American people deserve better. 
Let us ban soft money and stop the attack ads disguised as issue 
advocacy soft money pays for. Let us strengthen the Federal Election 
Commission and give it the teeth it needs to enforce campaign finance 
laws. This Congress must act to restore confidence and participation in 
our electoral system.
  Last month my colleagues and I signed a discharge petition to demand 
that Congress take up the important issue of campaign finance reform. 
The very fact that as Members of Congress we must petition our 
government speaks volumes and is a testament to the control money has 
over our electoral process.
  We must prove to our constituents that we are serious about real 
reform. We must make sure that our political system represents 
everyone, not just those that can afford it.

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