Campaign Finance Reform 

I voted for H.R. 2356, also known by the names of its primary sponsors, Shays-Meehan.  The House passed Shays-Meehan on Thursday, February 14 by a vote of 240-189.  It had the support of 41 Republicans and 199 Democrats.   

The Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill closes the loopholes which have allowed unlimited sums of money to dominate our political landscape.  The bill helps ensure that federal officials and candidates are not beholden in reality or in perception to contributors who give immense sums of money to their campaigns. 

Our current campaign finance law sets limits on the monetary amount of contributions to candidates.  This law has a well-known loophole, often called the "soft money" loophole, which allows political parties to raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations, and unions.   

The political parties then turn around and use the money to elect or defeat candidates, doing indirectly what is illegal to be done directly.  This approach has shaken confidence in our political system and in our elected officials while poisoning our federal campaigns at the same time. 

Oftentimes soft money is used to buy "issue ads," which we've all seen.  These ads pretend to be taking a stand on an issue, but really are designed to defeat or support a candidate.  One striking example of the kind of campaign abuse this legislation seeks to curb occurred in the 2000 presidential primary election.  Two Texas oilmen B friends of George W. Bush B spent $10 million in negative ads against Senator John McCain.  They did this by funneling their money through a dummy group and distorting the Senator=s legislative record, a clear attempt to influence an election.   

Shays-Meehan requires any radio or television ad that refers to a specific candidate AND is broadcast within 60 days of a primary election to be paid for with funds subject to contribution limits. 

Political parties raise soft money by selling access to politicians, and this is wrong.  We in Congress finally took action against this, and took the common-sense Shays-Meehan approach. 

It is my hope that because of this law, our jobs will be filled with less influence and more people like you; more contributors and smaller contributors, and more democracy and less elitism.