Asa Hutchinson: “some individuals have misinterpreted yesterday's vote in the Senate as an indication that campaign finance reform is…”

“some individuals have misinterpreted yesterday's vote in the Senate as an indication that campaign finance reform is dead. I think they are deceiving themselves. There was no knockout punch. It was a draw. Campaign finance reform is alive and it is a golden opportunity for the House and our House colleagues to prove that. The spotlight will turn to the House and whether we can follow through on our promises to take the electoral process out of the hands of the highest bidder and put it back in the hands of the American bidder. I applaud Speaker Gingrich's comments that he will give campaign finance reform its due in the House, and the gentleman from California [Mr. Thomas] for asserting that he will hold hearings on the reform effort and examine the different campaign finance bills, including the bill introduced by myself and my friend, the gentleman from Maine, [Mr. Tom Allen]. Mr. Speaker, there has been some heated debate on this issue. Let us take that debate out of the pages of the newspapers and put it on the floor of the House of Representatives. Let us make it an open debate, hear all the sides, hear the viewpoints, and decide which direction we are going; and, Mr. Speaker, after that debate, then we can decide just how our campaigns should be run, by the highest bidder or by the American public.”