House Defeats Campaign Finance Reform Measures

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 26) -- The oft-pursued but ever elusive goal to reform campaign financing suffered another setback after the House beat back two reform bills, one of them pushed by House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"It is an extremely difficult thing to do," said. Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), the main sponsor of the Gingrich-backed measure. Though political reform was high on the agenda of the ascendant GOP after the 1994 congressional elections, 68 Republicans joined 190 Democrats and one independent to vote against the bill, which the speaker claimed was "a first step in the right direction."

The measure would have forced candidates for Congress to raise at least 50 percent of their campaign funds from people who live in the district they represent, and it would have allowed the maximum individual donation to rise with inflation. The ceiling on donations from political action committees would have been lowered to $5,000, down from its current $10,000 level.

Democrats objected in particular to a provision that would have barred unions from spending members' dues on political activities without their permission. "This is an absolutely fraudulent imitation of real campaign reform," declared Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) during floor debate. "It gives the wealth an even greater lock on the system than they have right now."

A Democratic alternative bill also went down 243-177. It would have offered discounted TV and radio advertising time to candidates who spend less than $600,000 on their campaigns, and accept less than $200,000 in PAC money.

The Senate is bogged down on the issue, too. Action on reform legislation faltered earlier this year, and Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) says there's "no chance" of reviving it this year.

House Defeats Campaign Finance Reform Measures

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