    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [May 8, 1993]
    [Pages 597-598]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 597]]

    The President's Radio Address
    May 8, 1993

        Good morning. In the early days of our administration we've moved
    quickly to deal with the problems that concern you most. Our endeavors
    are ambitious and none will be accomplished easily, some will require
    time and repeated struggle. But all of them relate directly to improving
    our economy, to creating more jobs and better incomes and opportunity
    for hard-pressed working families.
        Many of the efforts we're making are opposed by lobbyists, defenders
    of the status quo and special interests. We're fighting, after all, to
    do something that no generation of Americans has had to do before: to
    make dramatic reductions in the Federal deficit, even as we ask for new,
    very targeted investments in the education and training of our people,
    in incentives for our industries, in new technologies for new jobs in
    the 21st century.
        Many special interests are trying to stop our every move. They don't
    believe in a program which cuts spending in areas they don't want to
    have spending cuts or which raises most of the tax burden from wealthy
    people whose incomes went up and taxes went down in the eighties, while
    the middle class paid more in taxes while their incomes went down. We
    want to reverse that, but most working people don't have lobbyists here
    to help them.
        We're fighting hard to reform our health care system. And soon,
    we'll put forward a plan to provide real security and health care for
    every American family. And already, special interests are trying to
    carve the plan to bits.
        We're trying to make it possible for every young person to go to
    college, to borrow the money that he or she needs and then to pay it
    back as a small portion of their incomes after they go to work. And
    already, banks and their allies are out in force since they make
    enormous profits from the current student loan system, even though it
    imposes great burdens on many students.
        Well, this is what always happens in Washington. Narrow interests
    exercise powerful influence. They try to stop reform, delay change, deny
    progress, simply because they profit from the status quo. Because big
    money and the special access it buys are the problem, we have to reform
    the political system even as we try to improve the economy, and open
    opportunities to all our people.
        Unless we change fundamentally the way campaigns are financed,
    everything else we seek to do to improve the lives of our people will be
    much harder to achieve. Economic reform and reform of the political
    system go hand-in-hand. It's time to curb the role of special interests
    and to empower average citizens in the way our country is governed.
        Yesterday I announced a comprehensive campaign finance reform
    proposal, a proposal to reform the political process, restore faith in
    our democracy, and ensure once again that the voice of the people is
    heard over the voices of special interests. The plan will change the way
    Washington works, the way campaigns are financed, and the way the game
    of politics is played. Here's how it will work: First, it will impose
    strict spending limits on congressional campaigns. Spending has gone up
    too far and too fast. When spending is out of control, candidates who
    lack access to big money simply can't compete. In the last 2-year
    election cycle, spending on congressional campaigns increased by 50
    percent over the previous 2 years.
        Second, this plan will rein in the special interests by restricting
    the role of lobbyists and PAC's, political action committees. For the
    very first time, our plan will ban contributions from lobbyists to the
    lawmakers they lobby. It will bar lobbyists from raising money for the
    lawmakers that they lobby. If adopted, believe me, this proposal will
    change the culture of Washington. And it will curb the role of political
    action committees. We want to cap the amount of money any candidate can
    receive from PAC's. And we'll limit PAC contributions to $1,000 for
    Presidential candidates and $2,500 for Senate candidates.
        Third, our political reform plan will open the airwaves and level
    the playing field between incumbents and challengers by providing access
    to the broad airwaves, for candidates who agree to the spending limits.
        Let me make this clear, this broadcast time will not be paid for by
    middle class taxpayers. It will be funded by repealing a major tax loop-

    [[Page 598]]

    hole that allows many businesses to deduct the cost of their lobbyists.
    Corporate lobbying has only been deductible since 1962. We can close
    that loophole and use that money to open the airwaves to all candidates.
        This proposal will change the status quo. And, believe me, the
    special interests will mobilize against it. They don't want to see their
    ability to give or to raise campaign contributions curbed. They don't
    want to see the influence of PAC's curbed. They don't want to see limits
    on election spending.
        But Government will work only for middle class America, if
    Washington works in the national interest and not just for narrow
    interests. And that won't happen unless we change the way we finance
    campaigns in this country.
        This political reform bill is for real. It goes hand-in-hand with
    another bill we're supporting, which has already passed the United
    States Senate. That bill requires all lobbyists to register and now
    requires them to report all the money they spend on particular Members
    of Congress to try to influence or support their causes. And even if the
    special interests object to these efforts, even if they try to
    filibuster this campaign finance reform legislation or delay, I believe
    we will pass it. And I'll sign it because I think you will support it.
        When all is said and done, this issue is really about our liberty.
    It's a matter of preserving our personal freedoms and expanding our
    opportunity by revitalizing the political freedoms on which they rest.
    To create jobs, as we must, to increase incomes, to make our health care
    system better, to open more educational opportunities, we need a
    democracy where more, not fewer, Americans play a role and have a real
    say in the decisions that powerfully affect their lives.
        Last November, we had a huge increase in turnout, especially among
    our young people. Since then, I have received more letters in the first
    3\1/2\ months of my first year than my predecessor did in the entire
    year of 1992. The American people want to be heard in their political
    system. If you want to do it, we've got to pass the lobbying bill and
    we've got to pass this campaign finance reform bill which will pay for
    equal access through lobbying contributions, control the influence of
    lobbyists, limit PAC's, and limit campaign spending.
        These are changes I'm fighting for. But they won't happen unless
    you'll fight for them, too. If you'll help we can win this battle and we
    can keep turning America around.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the
    White House.