    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [February 20, 1998]
    [Page 263]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Members of the Senate on Campaign Finance Reform Legislation
    February 20, 1998

    Dear __________:
        Next week, the Senate is scheduled to debate campaign finance
    legislation. You will have an important opportunity to cast a vote for
    real reform of our electoral process. Today, I am writing to urge you to
    support legislation that will make our democracy work better for all
    Americans.
        The campaign finance laws were last rewritten twenty-three years
    ago. Those laws have served us well, but they have been overwhelmed by a
    flood of money and the rising cost of campaigns. Politicians have talked
    about reform for years. Now it is time to act. The McCain-Feingold bill
    puts an end to the soft money system, expands disclosure requirements,
    increases penalties for election law violations, and strengthens the
    rules for so-called independent campaign expenditures. Make no mistake:
    a vote against McCain-Feingold is a vote for soft money, for unlimited
    backdoor campaign expenditures, for the status quo.
        For these reasons, I have supported and will continue to support the
    McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and I urge the Senate to
    pass it. I also urge the Senate to reject any attempts to attach an
    amendment that would make this bill unpalatable to one party or another.
    Such an attempt is nothing less than an effort to defeat campaign
    finance reform.
        A critical mass has been reached for campaign finance reform.
    Citizen groups, spurred by business executives and civic leaders, have
    gathered one million signatures on a petition to Congress calling for
    reform. Presidents Ford, Carter, and Bush have been joined by
    dozens of former lawmakers in calling for reform.
        Today the responsibility rests in the hands of the Senate. If you
    want to strengthen our democracy, vote for the McCain-Feingold
    Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
        Sincerely,

                                                                Bill Clinton

    Note: Identical letters were sent to all Members of the Senate. This
    letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on February 21.