WASHINGTON, 26 July — Campaign finance reform legislation calls to outlaw unlimited, unregulated soft money donations, which have come to dominate political fund-raising, continue to be made. But because so many lawmakers have come to depend upon the cash cow of soft money, campaign finance reform remains in limbo in the House — which breaks for a month recess in August — while backers wait to hear whether they will get another chance to vote on the bill or will have to try to bring the bill up for consideration again.
The bill was sent back to committee earlier this month after a majority in the House — all but one of the House Democrats and 19 Republicans — voted to reject the rules for debate set up by the republican leadership.
The coalition argued that the rules unfairly hurt the bill’s chances for passage.
The House reformers have been meeting with Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who propelled a similar bill through the Senate in April, in which they decided to give the leadership another chance to vote before the reformers turn to other ways for getting a vote on the bill.
“We can do it harmoniously, or drag them kicking and screaming to the altar, but there’s ultimately going to be a ceremony,” said Rep. Christopher Shays, the Connecticut Republican who sponsored the bill along with Rep. Martin Meehan, Massachusetts Democrat.
And despite overwhelming voter support for the bill, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, Texas Republican, said recently that campaign finance ranks lower in priority than other issues the House leadership wants to take up, including HMO reform, an energy policy and the series of appropriations bills now pending. “The problem is we’ve got a full schedule, as you can see,” Armey told reporters. “We had time slotted for that. That time, of course, was missed because they defeated the rule.”
But Sen. McCain’s office has accused the Republican leadership of foot dragging. A press officer in McCain’s office told Arab News yesterday that McCain is trying to force the bill to be moved through Congress.
If the Republican leadership doesn’t schedule another vote on the bill under rules backers consider fair, the reformers have several options. Among them is having the Senate attach the bill to another bill that passes the chamber, or bring forward a discharge petition, that if signed by a majority of House members would bring the bill directly to the floor rather than having to be scheduled by the House leadership.
