House Administration Democrats Oppose Cole Amendment

February 16, 2011 (Washington, DC): Democratic Members of the House Administration Committee today issued a call for colleagues to oppose the Cole Amendment, to H.R. 1 – The Continuing Resolution.  The Amendment eliminates the Presidential Public Campaign Fund, under the guise of cost savings.

“This entirely voluntary system was established by Congress in the shadow of the Watergate Scandal,” said Ranking Member Robert A. Brady and Committee Members Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Charles A. Gonzalez (D-TX). “The elimination of the fund opens the door for large political spenders including foreign-owned entities, large corporations and other organizations, to enjoy an even greater role in the funding of political campaigns. In light of the disastrous  Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case, the elimination of the fund further empowers uninhibited special interest spending in our elections and unlimited corporate influence over our public policy debate.”

“The elimination of the Presidential Public Financing System has been widely criticized by voter advocacy organizations and campaign reform organizations,” they continued. “We do not believe the Presidential Election Campaign Fund is perfect. Far from it. But the system needs to be reformed, not repealed.  This Amendment, like the flawed legislation that it mirrors, elevates the importance of special interests, silences the voices of millions of Americans and is a blatant attempt to bring corporate dominance of our elections to the next level. “