Wednesday, March 13, 2002
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Wednesday, March 13, 2002 |
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Collins: Campaign finance reform is a shell game Citing a lack of real soft money reform and political posturing, Fayette's congressman, Mac Collins, voted against the modified Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Bill (HR 2356). "Let me begin by saying that I very much favor true reform to our current campaign finance laws. Unfortunately, while Shays-Meehan, as well as the other bills and amendments offered today will change laws, they do not provide true reform," Collins said. "The unlimited inflow of soft-money must be stemmed. Ironically, the Shays-Meehan bill does not stop soft money, only redirects it," he added. "Furthermore, the Shays-Meehan bill does not go into effect until after the November elections. If true reform is desired, then we should ban all soft money, and ban it today, not leave millions of dollars of soft money in the bank accounts of the political parties to spend on the upcoming November elections." Collins said the three major Democrat fund-raising committees have already raised 53.5 percent of their money in 2001 through large, unlimited donations from wealthy individuals, labor unions and corporations. He added that Republican fund-raising committees took in 35 percent of total donations in the form of soft money. "There is a major advantage to the Democrats in this loophole," he said. "The issue is not whether we need finance reform, it is that we need a level playing field so that all candidates are treated equally in the process." Collins said he supported an amendment offered by House Majority Leader Richard Armey, R-texas, that would have moved the effective date of the legislation to Feb. 14 and require all soft money to be returned to donors, "which," he said, "ironically, will be opposed by the architects of the Shays-Meehan bill."
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