Bill Clinton: “Today's vote is a victory for the American people and a setback for the special interests. Government will only serve…”

“Today's vote is a victory for the American people and a setback for the special interests. Government will only serve the middle class if Washington works for the national interest and not narrow interests. By breaking the filibuster and overwhelmingly passing campaign finance reform legislation, the Senate has answered the call for change. This legislation's sponsors and supporters deserve our gratitude. This bill will end the days when candidates could crush their opponents with unanswered spending by setting voluntary spending limits for candidates. It severely limits PAC's and bans contributions from lobbyists to the lawmakers they contact. It ends the abuses of the ``soft money'' system. I continue to believe that we should do more to open up the airwaves to candidates. But all in all, this legislation is comprehensive, real reform. The process of political reform should now move forward quickly. I urge the House of Representatives to enact the strongest possible legislation. Previous Presidents have blocked and even vetoed political reform. I look forward to signing it.”