President Signs CFR Act, Statement by the President 3/27/2002

whitehouse ^ | 3/27/2002 | President George W. Bush

[TLBSHOW]

President Signs Campaign Finance Reform Act

Statement by the President

Today I have signed into law H.R. 2356, the "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002." I believe that this legislation, although far from perfect, will improve the current financing system for Federal campaigns.

The bill reforms our system of financing campaigns in several important ways. First, it will prevent unions and corporations from making unregulated, "soft" money contri-butions -- a legislative step for which I repeatedly have called.

Often, these groups take political action without the consent of their members or shareholders, so that the influence of these groups on elections does not necessarily comport with the actual views of the individuals who comprise these organizations. This prohibition will help to right that imbalance.

Second, this law will raise the decades-old limits on giving imposed on individuals who wish to support the candidate of their choice, thereby advancing my stated principle that election reform should strengthen the role of individual citizens in the political process.

Third, this legislation creates new disclosure requirements and compels speedier compliance with existing ones, which will promote the free and swift flow of information to the public regarding the activities of groups and individuals in the political process.

I long have believed that complete and immediate disclosure of the source of campaign contributions is the best way to reform campaign finance.

These provisions of the bill will go a long way toward fixing some of the most pressing problems in campaign finance today. They will result in an election finance system that encourages greater individual participation, and provides the public more accurate and timely information, than does the present system. All of the American electorate will benefit from these measures to strengthen our democracy.

However, the bill does have flaws. Certain provisions present serious constitutional concerns. In particular, H.R. 2356 goes farther than I originally proposed by preventing all individuals, not just unions and corporations, from making donations to political parties in connection with Federal elections.

I believe individual freedom to participate in elections should be expanded, not diminished; and when individual freedoms are restricted, questions arise under the First Amendment.

I also have reservations about the constitutionality of the broad ban on issue advertising, which restrains the speech of a wide variety of groups on issues of public import in the months closest to an election. I expect that the courts will resolve these legitimate legal questions as appropriate under the law.

As a policy matter, I would have preferred a bill that included a provision to protect union members and shareholders from involuntary political activities undertaken by their leadership.

Individuals have a right not to have their money spent in support of candidates or causes with which they disagree, and those rights should be better protected by law. I hope that in the future the Congress and I can work together to remedy this defect of the current financing structure.

This legislation is the culmination of more than 6 years of debate among a vast array of legislators, citizens, and groups. Accordingly, it does not represent the full ideals of any one point of view.

But it does represent progress in this often-contentious area of public policy debate. Taken as a whole, this bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

March 27, 2002.

[BluesDuke]

I believe individual freedom to participate in elections should be expanded, not diminished; and when individual freedoms are restricted, questions arise under the First Amendment.

Well, duhhhh, Mr. President!

Happy now? Happy now that you've just given John McVain licence to play Roger Enrico to your Coca-Cola and crow at will, The other guy just blinked? Congress shall make no law...abridging freedom of speech. Bad enough it went over Congress's head, but which part of that portion of the Supreme Law of The Land went over your head, Mr. President?

[FreedominJesusChrist]

"You have the mentality of a suicide bomber."

Now, I never said anything that mean...

[patriciaruth]

I will post their plan and expose their dirty little secret.

Waiting...

[Aric2000]

You see, with people that have your attitude is where the problem lies. The majority thinks it's OK, the SCOTUS thinks it's OK. THe constitution is a living breathing document. BS, the Constitution was written for a reason, and if it continues to be ignored, well, you thought the USSR was bad in it's heyday. GUESS WHAT, We are NOT a democracy, WE ARE A REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC!! There is a HUGE difference!! And the slide to a democracy is speeding up, and then socialism is right behind it. Bread and circus's, BREAD AND CIRCUS'S!!

[patriciaruth]

I go by my real name, not J.C., as I know there is precious little resemblance between me and my Savior.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

My screename is not 'Jesus Christ.'

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Yes, but you still lectured me about not being nice. Do you see what I mean?

[patriciaruth]

It depends on what the definition of 'is' is.

[Buckeroo]

"The President made a tough call ...." -- patriciaruth

Really? He signed into law a piece of legislation that he fervently campaigned against McCain about. He signed into law a myth that violates the Constitution. His "tough call" that you describe, has lost favor with many, as he really signed the pledge of being a hypocrite and he placed his hypocrisy before the American Constitution and the American People.

His "tough call" has placed a smile upon Al Gore's face.

[Commie Basher]

I like Keyes too, and voted for him in the GOP primary.

I especially like his economic plan: abolish income, corporate, estate & gift, and capital gains taxes. Replace them with a national sales tax.

On C-SPAN, he defended this not on economic grounds, but on CONSTITUTIONAL grounds, saying that the govt had NO RIGHT to invade our financial privacy with those income tax forms.

Keyes's plan is much better that Forbe's flat tax.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Besides, none of my posts were remotely cruel nor profane. So I really do not know what you are talking about.

[thepitts]

bush has done more damage to this country in less than 2 years than any president I can remember(not counting carter)

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Yeah, and that was the same strategy that Bill Clinton used to defend his case too.

[poet]

Nice response. When you have nothing to say, use insults. You did not respond to my statement about trusting someone who uses deception to achieve their ends. bush has shown his "principles" lie with the dems. Just review his domestic policies. Isn't "war" a great diversion from what's happening at home? He will not only lose his base, but, also, the people will turn on him because they will realize he is trying to please everyone and will please no one.

[Vigilanteman]

As far as I'm concerned, this is a dangerous game of "chicken." Incredibly dangerous. What if the Supreme Court decides to shirk their duty as the legislative and executive branchs have in an attempt to cover their political arses from the media?

As far as the logic that the CFR Act is seriously flawed, but over all, it improves the system, this is like saying a scoop of dog poop in a batch of gourmet chocolate is not good, but overall, the batch has the finest cocoa beans, so you'll clear it to ship with just a little dog poop. What kind of factory manager would keep their job with such logic?

[Mulder]

You voted for Bush right? Then don't let a plan that the rats hatched stop you from voting for Bush again. I will post their plan and expose their dirty little secret.

I voted for Bush, as well as supporting his campaign financially and by volunteering my time.

I'm very disappointed in Bush for signing this bill. It violates the Bill of Rights, which he swore to protect. He could have easily vetoed the bill, and made Dascele, etc... look VERY bad in the process.

The theory that a president with an 85% approval rating "had" to cower to the midget Dascele is absurd. If Bush will sell us out with an 85% approval rating, what do you think he's going to do when it's 55%? Or 45%?

The idea that conservatives prevail by becoming "moderate" and agreeing with the liberals is absurd. It's never worked in the past, and it won't work now.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Figures YOU'd be on here defending Bush...how much money do you earn for doing so, or do you do it for free, which indicates a MAJOR lack of self-respect?

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Keyes was the smartest candidate during the 2000 elections and probably the only one who had actually read the U.S. Constitution in the last month.

[FatherTorque]

Conservatives are the base of the Republican party, and they think they can count on your vote no matter what they do. As long as you continue to vote for people just because they have a (R) by their name, then they will never change.

Father Torque (One who voted Libertarian in the last presidential election and feels damn good about it)

[Aric2000]

However, despite rumors, Chicken Little, the sky is not falling.

Yes, the sky is falling, but no one notices, it is kind of like the frog in the pot, turn up the heat slowly and he'll sit there til he's dead, but toss him right into boiling water, and he'll do his best to jump out.

Well, you see what has happened? The little increments, a little bit here, a little bit there, a little bit unconstitutional, give it a pass, oops there's another one, well, they will give us this in exchange, OK, give it a pass, WHOA!! Look at this one, blatantly unconstitutional, that's OK then, the SCOTUS will handle it and we won't have to take the heat, what if the SCOTUS doesn't handle it?

The problem is that people have NOT held to principle, that is how we have gotten to a point where this BLATANT bill got through and SIGNED!!! YOU MUST STAND UP FOR PRINCIPLE, or the constitution means NOTHING!! He doesn't sound like a suicide bomber, he sounds like someone who took an oath to the constitution of the US, just as I have, and takes it VERY SERIOUSLY, Just as I do.

This bill is BLATANTLY unconstitutional, and all those that voted yes, and the president that signed it have VIOLATED thier oaths of office, but that's OK, right? He's OUR liar!!