James Hill: “I would far prefer today to be voting on the freshman bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act or the Shays-Meehan bill.…”

“I would far prefer today to be voting on the freshman bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act or the Shays-Meehan bill. Finding a bipartisan approach to campaign finance reform is not easy. That is because of the abuse of soft money. This bill does work to end the influence of soft money, the money coming from corporations and labor unions, and they oppose these provisions because they benefit from it. From 1992 to 1996, soft money going to our national parties went from 35 million a year to 270 million. It is estimated now that it will go to 500 million in the next cycle. It is overwhelming our system. I am deeply concerned about the process that brought us here today. I am deeply concerned that the two bipartisan measures, the freshman measure and Shays-Meehan, are not being voted on tonight. I will work for the balance of this Congress to find an opportunity for a serious vote on a bipartisan measure, either the freshman bill or the Shays-Meehan bill, that will ban soft money.”