Senate OK’s Campaign Finance Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, March 20–The U.S. Senate voted yesterday to reform the nation’s campaign finance laws after nearly a decade of gridlock. The Shays-Meehan-McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act passed by a vote of 60-40, with Senators Bob Smith, R-N.H. and Judd Gregg, R-N.H. voting against the bill.
Smith and Gregg also voted earlier yesterday against a motion to end debate on the bill and move to a final vote. That cloture motion carried, 68-32. Both Senators previously voted against the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, which the Senate approved last April.
“This legislation raises serious First Amendment concerns regarding limitations on free speech and political discourse,” Smith said in a statement yesterday. “Full disclosure, not limitations on free speech, is the right kind of campaign finance reform.”
Smith added, “I am also concerned that this bill hurts average Americans by limiting grassroots politics and by prohibiting the advocacy groups they support from fully representing their views.”
Gregg referred to the bill as “a very poor piece of legislation” and “an affront to the First Amendment.”
“[The bill] dramatically tilts the playing field away from parties and toward special- interest groups,” Gregg added.
The legislation will now be sent to President George W. Bush, who is expected to sign it. Ten years ago his father, President George H.W. Bush vetoed campaign finance legislation that would have provided partial public financing for political candidates.
The House approved the Shays-Meehan bill last month by a vote of 240-189. John Sununu, R-N.H., voted against the bill and Charles Bass, R-N.H., supported it.
“[Congressman Bass] is hopeful that it passes the Senateáand is signed into law by the President,” press secretary Sally Tibbets said yesterday before the final Senate vote.
Bass was one of the final four House members to sign a discharge petition forcing a House vote on the reform bill
“We wouldn’t have a vote today if not for Charlie Bass,” said the House bill’s co-sponsor, Christopher Shays, R-CT. “He was huge, and he’s been here for us for a long time.”
At a news conference yesterday following the cloture vote, reform supporters heralded the end of what Arizona Senator John McCain called a “seven-year odyssey.”
“I hope every young person feels more welcome at the table of American politics,” said Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, McCain’s co-sponsor.
The reform legislation would ban unregulated “soft money,” which corporations, labor unions and individuals may now contribute to national political parties. But it would permit limited soft-money contributions to state and local parties. The measure would restrict the use of soft money to finance “issue ads” by interest groups broadcast during the 60 days before a general election and the 30 days before a primary. The bill would also increase individual contributions to candidates from $1,000 to $2,000 per election, or $4,000 per election cycle.
Opponents questioned the constitutionality of the bill’s advertising restrictions, saying that they would silence free speech.
“As far as we’re concerned, legislated restrictions on political speech are unconstitutional,” said Ian Welters, communications director for the American Conservative Union. “Political speech, as an idea, is protected by the First Amendment.”
“We think full disclosure is, of course, the obvious way to go,” said Charles McGee, executive director for the New Hampshire Republican Party. “I think [this bill] will eventually be seen as Congress overstepping its bounds in terms of limiting free speech.”
Supporters have argued that the bill would not restrict free speech because it would permit ads paid for with limited “hard-money” contributions.
“New Hampshire voters clearly care about this,” said Colin van Ostern, communications director for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. “McCain made that clear when he won in the New Hampshire primary by 20 points campaigning almost solely on that issue.” Van Ostern characterized Smith and Gregg’s votes against the measure as “shameful.”
Three New England Republicans: Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine joined eight other Republicans and Independent James Jeffords of Vermont in voting for the measure.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire
