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House Passes Campaign Finance Bill
CNSNews.com ^ | 2/14/02 | Susan Jones

Posted on 02/14/2002 1:52:44 AM PST by kattracks

(CNSNews.com) - They did it: Following a 16-hour debate, the U.S. House of Representatives early Thursday morning passed a bill that would change the nation's campaign finance laws - for the better, said supporters; and for worse, said critics.

The vote was 240-189, with 41 Republicans and one independent voting for the Shays-Meehan bill, 12 Democrats voting with 176 Republicans and one independent against it.

The measure that passed around 2:30 a.m. is close enough to the Senate version that it could go straight to the Senate floor for a vote, in which case Republicans are promising a filibuster; or if the Senate doesn't accept it outright, it could move into a conference committee first.

President Bush, much to the dismay of some Republicans, is expected to sign the measure once it reaches his desk.

Here's some of what the House-passed bill does: It bans unregulated "soft-money" given to national political parties by corporations, unions, interest groups, and individuals; but it would allow soft-money contributions to state and local parties, up to a $10,000 limit.

It allows individuals to donate up to $2,000 (from the current $1,000 limit) to political candidates. And it also restricts broadcast advertising in the sixty days before an election.

The latter provision may provide the "meat" for a legal challenge. Opponents - who already are threatening to sue -- say restricting broadcast advertising before an election is tantamount to restricting free speech.

As for the soft-money ban, opponents say it is nothing more than a move to protect political incumbents against challengers who are less well known.

On the other hand, campaign finance "reformers" say the bill will help restore public confidence in the political system where money buys influence. Nonsense, say critics, who insist that money talks - always has and always will. They say politicians will find ways around the law, or simply walk through its loopholes.

 


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 02/14/2002 1:52:44 AM PST by kattracks
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To: kattracks
NRA Will Take Shays-Meehan Bill To Supreme Court If It Passes

FEC Chairman Says Shays-Meehan is 'Unworkable' And 'Unenforceable'

2 posted on 02/14/2002 2:01:49 AM PST by kattracks
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To: kattracks
Why do these people waste time and resources to pass laws that they know are unconstitutional? Isn't this against their oath of office?
3 posted on 02/14/2002 2:10:10 AM PST by gore_sux
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To: kattracks
Does anyone know if there's anything up yet that will tell us how each voted?

Carolyn

4 posted on 02/14/2002 2:15:05 AM PST by CDHart
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To: gore_sux
Lets see...last week Dashle said he didn't have the 60 votes to stop a filabuster on the stimulus bill...anyone want to bet that CFR hits the floor immediately without Dashle even mentioning that he doesn't have the 60 votes to stop a filabuster
5 posted on 02/14/2002 2:18:37 AM PST by BubbaJunebug
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To: CDHart
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 34
(Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)

H R 2356     RECORDED VOTE     14-FEB-2002   2:42 AM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE:  Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

AYES NOES PRES NV
REPUBLICAN 41 176   5
DEMOCRATIC 198 12   1
INDEPENDENT 1 1    
TOTALS 240 189   6

--- AYES    240 ---

Abercrombie Green (TX) Napolitano
Ackerman Greenwood Neal
Allen Grucci Oberstar
Andrews Gutierrez Obey
Baca Hall (OH) Olver
Baird Harman Ortiz
Baldacci Hastings (FL) Osborne
Baldwin Hill Ose
Barrett Hinchey Owens
Bass Hinojosa Pallone
Becerra Hoeffel Pascrell
Bentsen Holden Pastor
Bereuter Holt Payne
Berkley Honda Pelosi
Berman Hooley Petri
Berry Horn Phelps
Bishop Houghton Platts
Blagojevich Hoyer Pomeroy
Blumenauer Inslee Price (NC)
Boehlert Israel Quinn
Bonior Jackson (IL) Ramstad
Bono Jackson-Lee (TX) Rangel
Borski Jefferson Reyes
Boswell John Rivers
Boyd Johnson (CT) Rodriguez
Brady (PA) Johnson (IL) Roemer
Brown (FL) Johnson, E. B. Ros-Lehtinen
Brown (OH) Jones (OH) Ross
Capito Kanjorski Rothman
Capps Kaptur Roybal-Allard
Capuano Kennedy (RI) Rush
Cardin Kildee Sabo
Carson (IN) Kilpatrick Sanchez
Carson (OK) Kind (WI) Sanders
Castle Kirk Sandlin
Clay Kleczka Sawyer
Clayton Kucinich Schakowsky
Clement LaFalce Schiff
Clyburn Lampson Serrano
Condit Langevin Shays
Conyers Lantos Sherman
Costello Larsen (WA) Simmons
Coyne Larson (CT) Skelton
Cramer LaTourette Slaughter
Crowley Leach Smith (MI)
Cummings Lee Smith (WA)
Davis (CA) Levin Snyder
Davis (FL) Lewis (GA) Solis
Davis (IL) LoBiondo Spratt
DeFazio Lofgren Stark
DeGette Lowey Stenholm
Delahunt Lucas (KY) Strickland
DeLauro Luther Stupak
Deutsch Lynch Tanner
Dicks Maloney (CT) Tauscher
Dingell Maloney (NY) Taylor (MS)
Doggett Markey Thompson (CA)
Dooley Mascara Thune
Doyle Matheson Thurman
Edwards Matsui Tierney
Engel McCarthy (MO) Towns
Eshoo McCarthy (NY) Turner
Etheridge McCollum Udall (CO)
Evans McDermott Udall (NM)
Farr McGovern Upton
Fattah McHugh Velazquez
Ferguson McIntyre Visclosky
Filner McKinney Walsh
Foley McNulty Wamp
Ford Meehan Waters
Frank Meek (FL) Watson (CA)
Frelinghuysen Meeks (NY) Watt (NC)
Frost Menendez Waxman
Ganske Millender-McDonald Weiner
Gephardt Miller, George Weldon (PA)
Gilchrest Mink Wexler
Gilman Moore Wolf
Gonzalez Moran (VA) Woolsey
Gordon Morella Wu
Graham Nadler Wynn
--- NOES    189 ---

Aderholt Goss Pence
Akin Granger Peterson (MN)
Armey Graves Peterson (PA)
Bachus Green (WI) Pickering
Baker Gutknecht Pitts
Ballenger Hall (TX) Pombo
Barcia Hansen Portman
Barr Hart Pryce (OH)
Bartlett Hastert Putnam
Barton Hastings (WA) Radanovich
Biggert Hayes Rahall
Bilirakis Hayworth Regula
Blunt Herger Rehberg
Boehner Hilleary Reynolds
Bonilla Hilliard Rogers (KY)
Boozman Hobson Rogers (MI)
Boucher Hoekstra Rohrabacher
Brown (SC) Hostettler Royce
Bryant Hulshof Ryan (WI)
Burr Hunter Ryun (KS)
Burton Hyde Saxton
Buyer Isakson Schaffer
Callahan Issa Schrock
Calvert Istook Scott
Camp Jenkins Sensenbrenner
Cannon Johnson, Sam Sessions
Cantor Jones (NC) Shadegg
Chabot Keller Shaw
Chambliss Kelly Sherwood
Coble Kennedy (MN) Shimkus
Collins Kerns Shows
Combest King (NY) Shuster
Cooksey Kingston Simpson
Cox Knollenberg Skeen
Crane Kolbe Smith (NJ)
Crenshaw LaHood Smith (TX)
Culberson Largent Souder
Cunningham Latham Stearns
Davis, Jo Ann Lewis (CA) Stump
Davis, Tom Lewis (KY) Sununu
Deal Linder Sweeney
DeLay Lipinski Tancredo
DeMint Lucas (OK) Tauzin
Diaz-Balart Manzullo Taylor (NC)
Doolittle McCrery Terry
Dreier McInnis Thomas
Duncan McKeon Thompson (MS)
Dunn Mica Thornberry
Ehlers Miller, Dan Tiahrt
Ehrlich Miller, Gary Tiberi
Emerson Miller, Jeff Toomey
English Mollohan Vitter
Everett Moran (KS) Walden
Flake Murtha Watkins (OK)
Fletcher Myrick Watts (OK)
Forbes Nethercutt Weldon (FL)
Fossella Ney Weller
Gallegly Northup Whitfield
Gekas Norwood Wicker
Gibbons Nussle Wilson (NM)
Gillmor Otter Wilson (SC)
Goode Oxley Young (AK)
Goodlatte Paul Young (FL)
--- NOT VOTING    6 ---

Brady (TX) Hefley Roukema
Cubin Riley Traficant



6 posted on 02/14/2002 2:20:43 AM PST by kattracks
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To: gore_sux
"Isn't this against their oath of office?"

Yes, but that never bothered them before. Why should it bother them now?

Carolyn

7 posted on 02/14/2002 2:24:29 AM PST by CDHart
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To: kattracks
Thanks! Our Ike Skelton voted for it. Looks like I wasted a long distance call.

Carolyn

8 posted on 02/14/2002 2:27:42 AM PST by CDHart
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To: CDHart
If he cast his vote based on the phone calls and letters of people like you, then it was NEVER wasted, CD. :) So don't go thinking that.
9 posted on 02/14/2002 2:34:16 AM PST by WyldKard
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To: kattracks
41 Republicans voted for this?

And the GOP continues it's morphing process....

10 posted on 02/14/2002 2:34:36 AM PST by Jethro Tull
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To: kattracks
Can money buy an election? Ask Steve Forbes and Ross Perot.
11 posted on 02/14/2002 2:43:14 AM PST by Flyer
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To: kattracks
Traitors to liberty, every one.

I have a long memory.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

12 posted on 02/14/2002 2:56:17 AM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: kattracks
What's to prevent the unlimited soft money being given to the state parties, and have the state parties pay for all the ads?..BY my reading, absolutely nothing...
13 posted on 02/14/2002 2:58:52 AM PST by ken5050
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To: kattracks
I'm amazed, sickened, and numbed by this. What on earth is happening here?
14 posted on 02/14/2002 3:11:21 AM PST by kassie
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To: CDHart
"Isn't this against their oath of office?"

Yes, but that never bothered them before. Why should it bother them now?

Which Congresscritter was it that said "if the Constitutional test were applied, we couldn't do 95% of what we do up here."

(Please pardon the terrible paraphrase).

15 posted on 02/14/2002 3:13:16 AM PST by Beenliedto
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To: kattracks;EternalVigilance;ken5050
On Capitol Hill yesterday, the hypocrisy was so thick you could slice it with a knife.

Democrats who, during the Clinton years, blithely shrugged off damning evidence of high level bribery, kickbacks, and payoffs suddenly morphed into born-again "reformers" yesterday, railing sanctimoniously against the 'corrupting' 'influence' of "soft money" contributions on politics. All the talk was Enron, Enron, Enron -- as if Chinagate had never happened.

The tartuffery was naueating.

Here was Rep. Marty Meehan of Massachusetts, a 'see-no-evil-hear-no-evil' apologist for Clinton corruption, breathlessly lecturing his colleagues on integrity and probity, sans the faintest hint of shame or irony.

Or take Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who in 1998 condemned the House impeachment probe as a "coordinated effort to harass...to really undermine the ability of the [Clinton] White House to do the business expected of it."

Three years later, Hoyer turns a new leaf. Yeah, right.

So, now that Shays-Meehan has passed the House, what's next?

Much to the chargin of the McCainiacs, it ain't over quite yet. The bill now heads for the Senate, where it likely will face new challenges. Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey has already labeled "problematic" the House's decision to drop a key provision in the Senate-passed version requiring broadcasters to offer politicians ad time at special low rates. McCain-Feingold won with less than 60 votes in the Senate, so a filibuster is not out of the question.

If Torricelli switches sides and joins a filibuster, all bets will be off. The beauty of this scenario: The McCainiacs will only have themselves to blame.

Initially, the so-called "reformers" tried to muscle this turkey through the House sans legitimate debate on amendments. Their 'my-way-or-the-highway' hubris was illustrative. It underscored the sinister -- but thinly concealed -- purpose behind this bare-knuckle attack on the Bill of Rights, namely, to gag and de-fund the right.

Here's the deal: To lefties, the only thing standing in the way of socialist paradise here in America is 'evil' campaign money. Particularly donations from business interests.

The demise of Hillary-care was widely "blamed" on those memorable 'Harry and Louise' ads, which the media branded "misleading" and "deceptive".

But they weren't. Those ads exposed the fangs behind the smile of Hillary-care, an attempted coup detat over 1/7 of the U.S. economy.

In fact, the ads were devastating precisely because they were honest and candid. They conveyed the fatal flaws of Hillary-care in language everyone could understand and relate to.

Make no mistake: Just as Hillary-care was but the first step towards the total Sovietization of healthcare, McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan is merely the first phase towards the complete nationalization of American politics. The left aims to squelch all Harry and Louise voices of dissent.

Mandatory public financing of all elections and a ban on all independent political advertizing would pave the way.

To achieve that ultimate objective, McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan constitute the necessary opening preamble. By compromising even an inch on the first amendment -- and these bills go well beyond that -- the precedent for government control over grassroots/independent political activities will have been set, greasing the skids for more draconian controls down the road -- after the next round of "reforms". The "reformers", newly emboldened, will come back for more -- again and again.

McCain-Feingold is only dress-rehersal.

At the end of this slippery-slope, in a world where private campaign expenditures are outlawed, politicians will no longer feel constrained to bend to business and corporate interests. Ergo: Socialism flows inexorably out of this new political landscape.

I'm convinced that's the cynical purpose behind the mad rush for "campaign finance reform".

But, for the "reformers", there's still one major hurdle: The U.S. Constitution.

The McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan provision prohiting independent political advertizing weeks prior to elections can not pass constitutional muster. Not under the judiciary as currently constituted, that is.

Despite eight years of leftist appointments to the bench under Clinton-Gore, constitutionalists still out-number usurpers where it matters most: The U.S. Supreme Court.

That's where McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan would ultimately land, where it would ultimately be vetted IF -- and that's a big IF -- it were to become law.

My two cents...
"JohnHuang2"


16 posted on 02/14/2002 3:17:36 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: kattracks
Let the counter-attacks begin.
17 posted on 02/14/2002 3:20:53 AM PST by Psalm 73
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To: JohnHuang2
Well satated, my good friend.....but..but.."tartuffery?"......oh well, I shall hie myself to an on-line Thesaurus....
18 posted on 02/14/2002 3:24:17 AM PST by ken5050
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To: ken5050
Thank you, my friend.

but..but.."tartuffery?"......

Basically, it means *phoniness*, an fitting depiction of our "courageous" congrescritters.

19 posted on 02/14/2002 3:29:08 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: kattracks
Conservatives have been betrayed. Fortunately, my own congressman has kept his promise from the last go-round on this bill....Portman, Ohio voted NO. God bless his integrity.

Those who SWITCHED must be identified. Who are they? Did they inform their constituency that they were switching?

20 posted on 02/14/2002 3:29:18 AM PST by xzins
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