[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 122 (Friday, September 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2490, TREASURY AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

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                               speech of

                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 1999

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I want, first of all, to complement the 
distinguished gentleman from Arizona, the Chairman of the Treasury-
Postal Appropriations Subcommittee, Mr. Kolbe, for his work on this 
legislation.
  I want to particularly complement the Chairman for the inclusion in 
this bill of three key and much needed reforms of the Federal Election 
Commission. They are a requirement that campaign reports be filed 
electronically, a simplified administrative penalty process for 
campaign reporting violations, and a change in the campaign reporting 
period from a calendar year to an election cycle basis.
  As Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I want to say 
that we have worked closely with the Appropriations Committee on the 
development of these legislative items. I believe we have taken an 
important step towards improving our election process.
  These reforms may not make headlines, but they are the most 
significant legislative changes in the operation of the FEC we have 
seen in 20 years. These reforms were originally recommended in the 
January 29, 1999 report of the Independent Audit of the FEC. That Audit 
was authorized by the Committee on Appropriations in consultation with 
the Committee on House Administration.
  The adoption of these reforms has been recommended on a bipartisan 
basis by the Members of the FEC itself. They were all included in H.R. 
2668, the Campaign Reform and Election Integrity Act of 1999, reported 
favorably to the House floor by the Committee on House Administration 
on August 2, 1999.
  Virtually everyone agrees these reforms would be good for the House 
and good for the American public.
  Electronic filing would substantially speed up the transmission of 
information from campaigns to the general public, and ensure that 
information filed with the FEC is legible and more easily subject to 
analysis once filed. A campaign could not hide or delay the disclosure 
of its donors. Reports filed electronically with the FEC can be posted 
on the Internet almost instantly, eliminating processing time that can 
delay the release of information for short, but critical periods, 
especially as election day nears.
  Allowing the FEC to impose administrative fines for reporting 
violations without the lengthy procedural steps required in a normal 
enforcement case will free critical FEC resources for more important 
disclosure and enforcement efforts. The rights of those under these 
regulations are protected by preserving the option of appeal to a U.S. 
District Court, for those who believe the FEC erred.
  Saving taxpayer dollars, cutting costs for the regulated community, 
and ensuring speedier resolution of cases are all a net gain for the 
voter and our electoral system.
  Finally, the seemingly minor, but highly significant change from a 
calendar year to an election cycle reporting period will make it easier 
for candidates to avoid inadvertent receipt of contributions in excess 
of allowable election cycle limits, and provide more information to the 
public about the level of fundraising and campaign spending at any 
given point in an election cycle. Reports will show how much money a 
candidate has raised and spent from the end of the last election to the 
present, rather than from the end of the last calendar year. This 
recommendation will save money in enforcement costs and provide more 
relevant information to the public.
  These reforms are the kind of legislation we should see more of from 
the U.S. House of Representatives. Without impairing the right of free 
speech, without the expenditure of large amounts of taxpayer funds, we 
have improved the level of information, and the quality of enforcement 
in our political process.

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