[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 28, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H2411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SHADOWY CAMPAIGN

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, Congress Daily reported last week that 
liberal soft money groups, 527s they are called, have out-raised 
conservative groups five to one in 2004, and their goal is to raise 
$500 million to defeat the President. These 527 groups raise 
unreported, unregulated soft money, unlimited donations by millionaire 
fat cats, with no reporting requirements, no public scrutiny, and 
unlimited access to candidates.
  This is the kind of thing McCain-Feingold finance reform was supposed 
to deal with. It did not. The money just went underground. But it is 
not only the money that is the problem; it is that people do not know 
who is influencing our political process. These donations are not from 
small donors. The top 24 donors to these groups have given a total of 
$40 million.
  If we had done campaign reform right, we would not have this problem. 
Instead, we are stuck with this unending special interest shadow 
campaign, while true citizens' groups operate on limited budgets and 
cannot even run ads on issues that they care about.

                          ____________________