    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [June 12, 1997]
    [Pages 723-724]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Federal Election Commission Decision To Consider Action
    on the Soft Money System in Domestic Politics
    June 12, 1997

        I applaud the Federal Election Commission's unanimous decision to
    begin to consider my request that they act to ban soft money in Federal
    elections. This is an important step in our effort to reform our
    elections and restore the trust of the American people in their
    political system.
        As I said in my petition to the FEC, the rules governing our system
    of financing Federal election campaigns are sorely out of date. The
    system has been overwhelmed by a tide of money, raised in amounts and in
    ways that could not have been contemplated when the system was created
    two decades ago. I believe that the FEC has the authority and the
    obligation to take dramatic action, and I am pleased that five
    congressional sponsors of bipartisan campaign finance reform, led by
    Congressmen Shays and Meehan, have filed a similar petition before the
    Commission.
        I urge the FEC to take the next step and begin the process of
    writing new rules that will ban soft money. I hope this action will
    encourage Congress to enact comprehensive, bipartisan campaign finance
    reform.

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