[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 41 (Monday, October 13, 1997)]
[Pages 1488-1489]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Campaign Finance Reform Legislation

October 4, 1997

    For 5 years now we have watched the bipartisan effort to reform our 
campaign finance laws die at the hands of a filibuster in the United 
States Senate. I hope this year will be different. Republican Senator 
John McCain and Democratic Senator Russ Feingold have a strong bill that 
would curb the power of special interests and increase the confidence of 
the American people in our campaign finance system.
    But this Tuesday, their opponents will try once again to kill this 
bipartisan bill, which has the support of every Democratic Senator and a 
number of Republicans. They'll try it by using a ``poison pill'' 
amendment that will guarantee that reform dies one more time.

[[Page 1489]]

    Make no mistake, a vote for this killer amendment is a vote to block 
meaningful reform.

Note: The remarks were recorded at 11:10 a.m. on October 4 in the Oval 
Office at the White House for later broadcast.