Posted on 01/26/2011 4:16:28 PM PST by Qbert
The House passed a GOP-sponsored bill to end public financing for presidential campaigns Wednesday. Ten Democrats, most of them Blue Dogs, joined Republicans in the vote.
The bill suspends a 35-year-old program that lets taxpayers direct $3 to a general fund in the Treasury when they file their taxes, without reducing their refund. Republicans say ending the option would save $617 million over 10 years without preventing individuals from making personal donations to any candidate or party.
“The American people don’t need, or want, the government acting as their campaign finance intermediary to political candidates,” Georgia Rep. Tom Graves said in a statement. “The dynamics of modern politics provide more information, access, and avenues to donate than ever before, and it’s illogical to believe the government needs to compete with the will of an individual to donate on their own time, with their own dime.”
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the bill’s sponsor said it’s not a popular program.
“If it’s gone, nobody will miss it,” Cole told the House Rules Committee yesterday. “The only people who are going to miss it are Republican candidates in 2012.”
Democrats say there’s a bigger issue at stake. In eliminating the public option, big donors will gain more influence in elections. They drew a comparison between the bill and the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United v. Federal Election Commission, which eased restrictions on corporate contributions to campaigns.
“This bill will result in even more corporate and special interest money in our campaigns than we have today and that’s really saying something,” Rules Committee ranking member Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said during floor debate.
The Democrats who joined Republicans and voted in favor of the legislation were Reps. Ben Chandler (Ky.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Heath Shuler (N.C.), Jason Altmire (Penn.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Nick Rahall (W.V.), Ross (Ark.) and Adam Schiff (Calif.).
Nothing but a waste of tax dollars like most government programs.
There is no intermediary.
“without reducing their refunds” is the key part. The money being put into the fund is from the general fund not from the person who checks it.
All the Blue Dogs bolted their party to kill it.
“This bill will result in even more corporate and special interest money in our campaigns than we have today and that’s really saying something,” Rules Committee ranking member Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said during floor debate.
I’ll just bet you are really worried about corporate and special interest money Louise. We have to dismantle this machine in order to save money, that is the issue.
It was a stupid idea 35 years ago, it’s a stupid idea now.......
It's a small start. Let's hope this one speck of sand will quickly multiply into an entire beach.
(Starve the beast. We can survive without big governments money, but big government can't survive without ours.)
Ditto
Excellent news. I voted for this cut on the You Cut site. Keep those cuts coming.
Excellent news. I voted for this cut on the You Cut site. Keep those cuts coming.
““If it’s gone, nobody will miss it,” Cole told the House Rules Committee yesterday. “The only people who are going to miss it are Republican candidates in 2012.”
If this is true than why is Slaghter and pelosi among others who are Democrats opposed to ending it?
“I voted for this cut on the You Cut site.”
Awesome- it’s nice to know Congress could finally be listening to us, for a change.
I remember when this thing was implemented and thought how dumb it was.
It was another liberal piece of crap.
“Keep special interest money out of politics,” so went the mantra.
so you check this box and $1.00 of your tax money went into this account which would allow nobodies like me to run for President.
I never, ever agreed to it.
Did Weiner have a caniption fit??? I hope so. Along with Wasserwoman Shultz.
now, time to go after the Universal Service Fund.
If the GOP candidate in 2012 is a RINO, he might not raise anything.
“$617 million. It’s a small start.”
— Yeah, especially considering that the federal debt increases by an average of over four billion per day.
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
“Let’s hope this one speck of sand will quickly multiply into an entire beach.”
— Yep.
Another good one. I’m liking these guys more with every bill.
He doesn't deserve to raise anything. It'll stop the lies and force him to run as a democrat. (It's a good thing.)
Because they want the Republican candidate bound by all the restrictions while Obama totally ignores them.
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