Congressional Record

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104 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

Vol. 142 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1996 No. 95

Senate
The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was UNANIMOUS-CONSENT AGREEMENT wage issue, beginning on Monday, July
called to order by the President pro I understand that there has been a re- 8.
tempore (Mr. THURMOND). quest for an extension of that debate, I yield the floor.
therefore I now ask unanimous consent f
PRAYER
that debate be extended until 1 p.m.
The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John today under the previous conditions, RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: and further that Senators have until 1 The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
Martin Luther said, ‘‘The very ablest p.m. in order to file second-degree DEWINE). Under the previous order,
youth should be reserved and educated amendments to the campaign finance leadership time is reserved.
not for the office of preaching, but for reform bill as well as first-degree f
government. Because in preaching, the amendments to the DOD bill.
Holy Spirit does it all, whereas in gov- CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With-
ernment one must exercise reason in out objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
the shadowy realms where ambiguity Mr. LOTT. I might just note that has ate will now resume consideration of S.
and uncertainty are the order of the been cleared by the Democratic leader- 1219, which the clerk will report.
day.’’ ship. This just does provide for an addi- The assistant legislative clerk read
Gracious God, infinite wisdom, we as follows:
tional 30 minutes of debate on the cam-
thank You for reserving and preparing
paign finance reform bill. A bill (S. 1219) to reform the financing of
the women and men of this Senate to Federal elections, and for other purposes.
At 2:15 today, under the previous
serve You in the high calling of govern-
order, the Senate will proceed to a roll- The Senate resumed consideration of
ment. So often politics and politicians
call vote on the motion to invoke clo- the bill.
are denigrated in our society. We for-
ture on the campaign finance reform The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
get that politics is simply the doing of
bill. If cloture is not invoked, the Sen- ator from Texas.
government. Bless the Senators, their
ate is expected to resume consideration Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I
faithful staffs, and all who are part of
of the Department of Defense author- want to speak against cloture on this
the Senate family. Give all of them a
ization bill; therefore, further rollcall bill, but I also want to talk about what
renewed awareness that they are here
votes are expected throughout today’s I think is good about the bill and why
by Your appointment and You will give
session. I am voting against cloture.
vision in the ambiguities and clear
As a further reminder, a cloture mo- First, I want to say, if I were titling
convictions in the uncertainties that
tion was filed on the DOD authoriza- this bill, it would be called the Incum-
occur today. Send out Your light; lead
tion bill last night, with that vote to bency Protection Act, because that is
us; empower us. We commit ourselves
occur on Wednesday of this week. Also, what limitations on expenditures for
anew to excellence for Your glory and
the Senate will recess from the hour of campaigns will do. It will take away
the good of our beloved Nation. In the
1 to 2:15 p.m. today, in order for the the right of a challenger to be able to
name of our Lord. Amen.
weekly policy conferences to meet. raise more money than an incumbent
f
I hope the cloture vote on DOD au- with the advantage of name identifica-
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY thorization may not be necessary, but tion and to be able to go forward with
LEADER from what I saw last week, the Senate a message.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The has not yet gotten serious about com- What they say in this bill is that it is
able majority leader, Senator LOTT, is pleting this legislation. We must do it voluntary. It is voluntary, but you pay
recognized. this week. We will do it this week. We quite a price if you do not adhere to
f
just have to get on with the amend- the limits. You, then, will be faced
ments. So we probably can expect to go with 30 minutes of free broadcast time
SCHEDULE into the night tonight and may very against you, if you do not adhere to the
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this morn- well tomorrow also. limits. You will have reduced postal
ing there will be a period for continued I might also just say, I plan to meet rates against you. This is really coer-
debate on S. 1219, the campaign finance later on this morning with the Demo- cive. Then there is the cost. My gosh,
reform bill, with the time equally di- cratic leader and see if we can come to the Postmaster General has said he
vided between the two leaders or their an agreement on how to handle the will have to raise all postal rates if he
designees. small business tax relief and minimum has to provide reduced rates.

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

S6761
S6762 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 25, 1996
So I want to talk about why I think goes against everything that freedom $100,000 for a campaign for a State of-
this is the most important part of the in a democracy stands for, and that is fice, and we are talking about $1,000
bill. But I also want to talk about what the limitations on contributions, vol- limitations on contributions or $5,000
I think is good in the bill because, if we untary, but nevertheless I think it cre- from a PAC that is an amalgamation of
ever want to come back to this, there ates a very uneven situation. many employees in a company, I think
are some improvements that we really I am a person who could be on the we are assuring that there is going to
ought to make, and I will be supportive other side of that because in my per- be a grassroots base. We have that as-
of these things. I love the idea of re- sonal experience I ran against an in- surance right now.
quiring 60 percent of campaign funds to cumbent who was much better funded I had 40,000 contributors to my cam-
be raised from individuals in a State. I than I was, who had the PAC contribu- paigns for the U.S. Senate. I ran twice
think that is something that will en- tions from Washington that I have within 2 years. Forty thousand. My av-
able the people in the State to have the heard so much talk about on this floor. erage contribution was about $100. I
right say in the election of their Mem- I had a very hard time raising money think that is a grassroots effort. I had
bers of the U.S. Congress, in the elec- against this incumbent. But you know many $5 and $10 contributions. That
tion of their Senators. what? The people were looking at the does make sure that no one has par-
I am for limitations of personal message. And even though my message ticular access to a person because of
money for a campaign. I think you was much less generously funded than some huge contribution.
have to make sure it would be con- my opponent’s message, nevertheless I think we can do a lot to improve
stitutional, so you would say a person the people were able to make this our campaign finance in this country,
can spend any amount of his or her own choice. Mr. President, but I just think this bill
money that he or she wants to, but he I do not want to limit the incumbent is not the right approach. I hope that
or she could only be repaid a certain or the challenger. If the message is we can work on this and continue to
amount. I think that is a wise thing, right, we need to have the freedom to work on it, because as I said, I think,
because I, too, am alarmed, as many of get it out. I, of course, think that lim- having limitations on personal use of
us are, by people who would just pour iting an incumbent and saying you can funds, having the 60 percent require-
millions of their own money into a only spend this much, and limiting the ment of raising money in your home
campaign and, in effect, be able to buy challenger and saying you can only State, not using the franking privilege
an election; because that is what peo- spend this much, is going to favor the in an election year are very good, solid
ple see. They have the access to the incumbent. There is just no question recommendations from this bill. So I
airways with money, and it does be- about that. And even though I was on hope that we will be able to work on
come, I think, an inequitable situation. the other side of that, I think it is something, but, Mr. President, this is
Limitations on the amounts of con- wrong and I think I will stand always not the right vehicle. Thank you, and I
tributions by PAC’s to the same against any kind of limitations, wheth- yield the floor.
amount as individuals contribute is er it is cloaked in a voluntary cloak of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who
yields time?
good. I do think PAC’s, however, have armor or not, because it is not really
Mr. MCCONNELL addressed the Chair.
been misrepresented, not only on this voluntary when you are then going to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
floor but around the country, because I the television stations or the postal ator from Kentucky.
think political action committees, service or going to the radio stations Mr. MCCONNELL. Let me thank my
most often, are grassroots efforts with- and saying, ‘‘Ah, yes.’’—these people good friend from Texas for her excel-
in a company. Why would we not want that are voluntarily saying that they lent statement on the issue before us. I
the working people of this country to are going to stay within the limit— appreciate her contribution to this de-
be able to contribute $25 or $100 or $500, ‘‘You’re going to pay for that dif- bate, not only at this time but in pre-
if they desire to do it? PAC’s are vol- ference.’’ vious rounds. She is right on the mark,
untary and they should be voluntary. What is the nexus? Why are we tell- it seems to me, in concluding that this
But if people want to participate in our ing television stations or the Postal bill falls well short of anything the
process, I think they should be encour- Service, which is going to have to raise Congress ought to foist on to the
aged. Frankly, I think many of the rates on everyone else in America, that American people, and particularly the
companies in this country have done a you should subsidize this arbitrary lim- restrictions on all the individuals
wonderful job of encouraging their em- itation that is voluntary? It just does across the country that want to par-
ployees to be a part of a PAC. When not make sense, Mr. President. ticipate in the political process.
they do that, the employees are able to So I am going to vote against cloture I would just say to my friend from
have the candidates come before them. because I think the overriding issue Texas—I did not get a chance yester-
They will have the Democrat and the here is limitations. If you want to see day to tell her this—even the National
Republican. They will be able to have the hardship of limitations, look at the Education Association, almost never
debates. I think that is healthy. That States that have the limitations in aligned with people like the Senator
makes more people interested in the place. Look at the Presidential elec- from Texas and myself, wrote me a let-
process, have a stake in the process, tion right now. One candidate has a ter yesterday saying how awful this
and be good citizens. That is what we primary and therefore has to spend the bill was, and said they hoped it would
want to encourage in our democracy. money in the limitation. The other be defeated. They also pointed out that
I am for the provision that would not candidate does not have a primary. the average contribution to the NEA
allow the franking privilege for mass This could be reversed. It could be the PAC was $6, and asked the question,
mailings in an election year. I do not year that there is a Republican incum- why in the world participation of that
use the franking privilege for mass bent and the Democrats have a pri- sort would be a bad thing for American
mailings at all. I have not detected I mary. Either way, it makes for an arti- democracy and something the Congress
am any less in contact with my con- ficial limitation that is not fair. I do ought to eliminate?
stituents. I think it is a good thing, in not think we want to put that in place Mrs. HUTCHISON. Will the Senator
an election year, not to have the frank- now for Members of Congress and Mem- yield for a question?
ing privilege for mass mailings. I think bers of the Senate. Mr. MCCONNELL. Certainly.
we could easily do that. Let me just say that we do have limi- Mrs. HUTCHISON. Is it not true that
So these are things that I think are tations on contributions that I think the Postmaster General has raised seri-
great steps in the right direction, and I are quite reasonable. Could they be ous questions about this bill, and what
commend my colleagues, Senator lower? Yes. I mean, $500, $1,000—it he would be required to do is in the
MCCAIN and Senator FEINGOLD, for could be lower if we wanted it to be way of raising postal rates for everyone
bringing these forward because these lower. I would certainly be flexible in because of the subsidy that would be
are things I could vote for. that area. But you know, when I look required under this bill for lower postal
The reason I am going to vote at the States around this country that rates in an election year?
against cloture is because the over- have no limitations whatsoever on con- Mr. MCCONNELL. In a letter I re-
riding, most important part of this bill tributions and there are people taking ceived from the Postmaster General